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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29389950">Defence</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MariannaTrench/pseuds/MariannaTrench'>MariannaTrench</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftermath of Violence, Angst, Bad Parenting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fatherhood, Friendship, Gen, HEED TAGS, Hiding Medical Issues, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Mental Health Issues, Panic Attacks, Podfic Welcome, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Revenge, Self-Worth Issues, Sexual Abuse, Tory bashing, Victim Blaming, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:16:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>33,487</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29389950</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MariannaTrench/pseuds/MariannaTrench</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Written in response to this prompt:</p><p>https://cobrakaikink.dreamwidth.org/702.html?thread=155582#cmt155582</p><p> <br/>Johnny wasn't expecting a visitor that evening. Let alone a badly beaten Sam LaRousso. </p><p>Dark... Heed tags.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>99</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>122</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There are many things a well meaning parent might say to their child. Things they don’t even think about that stay with that child forever, things that were said to them by their own parents that they pass down like heirlooms.</p><p>Things that were good and respectable in their day.</p><p>The definition of a “Good Girl”</p><p>Sam had a distinct memory of being about 7 years old and Grandma Lucille telling her that a good Itallian girl waits for marriage, doesn’t 'Lead boys on' doesn’t dress a certain way or else she’s ‘asking for it’.</p><p>“Never wear high heels on a first date.” She'd told her. "Otherwise you won’t be able to run if you need to. Women need to take responsibility for that sort of thing.”</p><p>She didn’t understand at the time… Later she dismissed it as old fashioned Catholic tradition… She didn’t think it bothered her all that much.</p><p>But now? As she stumbled, bruised and bleeding, down the side streets on what she was pretty sure was a sprained or broken ankle... She wondered if Grandma Lucille had said the same thing to her dad when he was growing up. What he’d think of her now…</p><p>For a moment she was sure she could still feel Tory Nicols’ breath in her ear.<em> “I know where you live bitch!”</em></p><p>For a few seconds her whole body seized up and she had to support herself against a wall.</p><p><em>Responsibility</em>.</p><p>She had taken the bait when she found the note in her locker. She had gone by herself as it demanded.</p><p>She'd been expecting Tory to meet her alone at the warehouse.</p><p>She'd been expecting a fight… A beating, maybe a black eye, a split lip. But nothing she wasn’t dishing out in return.</p><p>She'd wanted closure. To finally prove herself against that psycho. She hadn’t expected half of Cobra Kai to show up… Including Kyler.</p><p>She'd have had some chance against two of them, with the new techniques she was learning from her Dad and Johnny Lawrence.</p><p>They didn’t agree on a lot of things but they’d somehow managed to come to an arrangement that enabled them to teach together without killing each other. Teaching their own techniques in their own ways. </p><p>But there were too many…. She'd held out as long as she could.</p><p>She could still feel the cold terror in her chest when the five of them had walked out of the shadows in that dark, derelict room… Tory swinging a bike chain, a cruel smile on her face.</p><p><em>Stupid, so, so stupid! </em>She berated herself.</p><p>A flash of her father's face in her minds eye. Crouching in front of her, she was five years old. He was showing her how to throw a punch.</p><p>
  <em>“If a stranger ever grabs you… You jab him… Yes…Like that… Good girl! Then you run...Understand?"</em>
</p><p>She blinked tears out of her eyes.</p><p>
  <em>"Yes Daddy."</em>
</p><p>She should’ve run.</p><p>They’d blocked her exit so she fought instead. Suddenly she wasn't fighting to show her skill or to kick anyone's ass. She was fighting for survival. Not caring that her knuckles were split open and covered in someone else blood. Ignoring the crunch of a broken nose or a cry of genuine agony as her foot hit someone’s jaw.</p><p>Biting and scratching when  she was too exhausted to kick or punch...Fighting without honor. </p><p>Tory had stood there the whole time, smirking.</p><p>Until she’d been too exhausted to fight back anymore and someone had swept her legs, leaving her skinned knees bleeding on the concrete floor.</p><p><em>I didn’t know!</em> She thought to herself<em>. I didn’t know she was sick like that…. Please don’t be mad Mom and Dad…I know you told me not to fight them again… But…”</em></p><p>
  <em>“I know where you live”</em>
</p><p>Cobra Kai had already taken the fight to her home once before… “Can’t go home” she muttered through her bloody lips.</p><p>Looking around the darkening neighbourhood she realised how far she was from home. Her bike was… Somewhere… Maybe the other side of the building. Her money was gone from her pocket… Where was she? The cooling evening breeze made all her grazes sting. She was acutely aware of the blood from her knees running down her bare shins.</p><p>Her injuries still felt numb… But It hurt to breathe... <em>Ribs. </em>Her brain supplies absently. </p><p>People were looking at her. An old homeless woman approached her and spoke to her with concern… She didn’t hear her… Kept walking as though she were in a dream, staring at the street signs.</p><p><em>6th and Berna…. Miguel</em>… Miguel would help her! He felt and overwhelming ache to see him. She knew it wasn’t too far to his Mom’s place… She limped on, a little steadier.</p><p>xxxxxxxx</p><p>Johnny had been about to crack open a beer and flick on the TV.</p><p>Carmen was still on shift at the hospital and Miguel was out somewhere…Probably with Sam. He almost called LaRusso just to talk… But thought better of it. They were getting on pretty well these days, in an almost professional way. Better not push it.</p><p>He had to do something to get his mind off Robby and whatever the fuck Kreese was doing with him. He hated to even speculate the garbage that bastard was filling the kid's head with.</p><p>Maybe only one beer. If he got drunk he’d definitely call Robby’s phone and leave a desperate, apologetic message… Again… For the third time this week.</p><p>He wasn’t much of a father… But he was pretty sure that even <em>he</em> had Kreese beat in the role model stakes. He gulped his beer and turned up the godawful reality show he was watching. <em>Who the fuck are these terrible people?</em> He wondered, as a trashy little man yelled at a waiter while a trashy hot woman yelled at him. The man rolled up a hundred dollar bill and tried to shove it into the waiters’ mouth.</p><p>“Fuuuuuck!” He whispered in disbelief. “Someone oughta kick that guy's ass!”</p><p>There was a soft rapping at his door. “Hey Miguel!” He called, getting up to open the door for the kid. “Who are these scumbags on my TV?”</p><p>It wasn’t Miguel. For a moment he didn’t recognise her. He looked at her face, all swollen and bloody… He looked over her shoulder, across the courtyard at the Diaz’s door. She’d tried them first, there was blood on their door. He looked at her hands, at the bruises on her shaking arms, at her scraped, bloody knees, at the bloody rivulets running down from the hem of her shorts. The Kid’s whole body was shivering like it was 50 below.</p><p>He could see that whatever had happened she’d fought like hell…. Of course she had… She was LaRusso’s Daughter.</p><p>“Oh God! Sam...” He reached out, his hands hovering, scared to hurt her even more.</p><p>“Th…There…W…Was…N…No one H…Home.” She whispered between chattering teeth. Then she fell forward into his arms and burst into tears.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p> Serious Trigger Waring for flashback in this chapter the italic part towards the end if you want to skip it. Apologies to Tory Fans, you ‘aint gonna like this.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">If there’s one thing Johnny wasn’t it was house proud. He may not have always had food in the refrigerator or clean clothes in the closet… But, even after all the fights he’d been in recently, he sure as hell had a fully stocked first aid kit.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> The first thing he’d done after getting her inside was to set the kid on the couch. Then get the first aid kit and and ice from the freezer, and a big plastic bowl of hot water, which he dumped an entire bottle of iodine into. She was sobbing. It wasn’t like her. This kid could take a punch as well as he could and shake it off.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Shit Kid… What happened?” He sat on the coffee table and began cleaning her face with a damp washcloth, getting a better look at the damage. She was wearing black. He hadn’t noticed until now, but the back of her T-shirt was torn, bruised flesh peeping out. His blood began to boil. He was going to mangle whoever did this.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Sam?” He ducked his head to try and meet her eyes. She looked away hurriedly.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Was it Cobra Kai? Sam?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> She didn’t respond.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I’ll take that as a yes… Please tell me Robby wasn’t…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> She shook her head suddenly “N… No.” She said quietly, wiping her eyes. “ Robby wasn’t there… And Kreese didn’t send anyone. It was… It was my fault… She challenged me and… I accepted.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Johnny frowned, tipping her head back slightly to take a look at her nose. “Tory did all this?” He asked in disbelief. He knew Tory was a good fighter but she wasn’t a one woman army! When she didn’t reply he stared into her face for a long moment and began to put two and two together.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “There was more than one… When you got there? Wherever ‘there’ was… I’m gonna check your head, I think you might have a concussion.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> She flinched under his hand as he felt her scalp for injuries. He tried to keep his anger off his face. That was a <em>damn</em> low move, challenging someone to a one on one and showing up with all your friends. “How many?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Five” she breathed. He felt a tremor under his hand. “I knew some of them from school… I couldn’t fight them all… Not for long.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> His own hands shook slightly as he began to clean the blood off hers. “It wasn’t a <em>fight</em> kid… It was an <em>ambush</em>… Looks like you gave them a run for their money though.” He nodded at her split knuckles. “I’m going to beat every one of their little asses when I get my hands on them.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> She shook her head. “Don’t… Don’t make a big deal out of it… It’s nothing…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I doubt your Parents will see it that way… Here… Rinse. ” He held a cup of saltwater to her lips and let her swirl the liquid in her mouth before spitting it back.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “You can’t tell them about this!” She said, her voice rising. “Please Sensei Lawrence!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Good luck hiding it from them, you look like you got hit by a bus.”She did, and when the bruises darkened tomorrow she’d look even worse.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Let me see your foot” he instructed. He took off her sneaker and carefully rotated her swollen ankle until she cried out. “Sprained” He told her. “ We’ll stick some ice on that”… He put her foot in his lap “How bad is the rest?” He asked, as he cleaned the gravel and drying blood out of her left knee.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I’m ok…Sensei… My folks will kill me if they knew I went looking for trouble.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He glanced up at at her shredded T-shirt. He wasn’t going to take it off her. But he suspected there was worse under her clothes than she was letting on.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “You need a doctor Sam?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “No!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Too quick on the “no” kid. Rookie mistake.</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Sam?” He said quietly. Catching her eye. “Seriously?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Its nothing…” She said, tight lipped. “It’s fine.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “See you keep saying that, but it sure as hell doesn’t<em> look</em> like nothing…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Don’t!” She said, her voice threatening tears again. “Please… I can’t… I don’t want…” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath”… I just <em>can’t</em> have a doctor poking and prodding me right now ok? Please?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> He felt a chill at the sound of panic in her voice. That settled it. Something <em>had </em>happened. Something worse than an average beatdown. He had to do something…But kid was having a panic attack, he wasn’t going to force her into the car and drag her to the hospital. He couldn’t bring himself to do that to her.He tried his best to keep his voice calm. <em>Adult! Johnny you’re the adult here! </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “OK…OK Sam , calm down. I won’t take you to the ER right now… But you have to let Carmen take a look at you when she gets off her shift. OK? Then we’ll do whatever she says.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “OK.” She sighed with relief.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “She’ll be home real soon.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “OK.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “And I’m calling your parents… They’re going to find out anyway.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I know… I just…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “You know they will literally murder me if I don’t. “</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I know”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “And they’re probably worried sick about you.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> She nodded, resigned. He finished up her knee, then started on the other one. “They won’t be mad.” He said softly. “I promise.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> She snorted. “You can’t promise that, they <em>definitely</em> will be.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> He raised an eyebrow. “ Ok…They will be… But not at you.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “It was my fault… I took the bait.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Stop saying that. You didn’t start it. You didn’t know what they had planned. If it means anything, I’d have done the same thing at your age and gotten my ass kicked worse.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> The knee had a gash in it that might need stitches. Carmen could deal with that. He decided not to mention it. Sam had become still and quiet. She was staring at the bloody water in the bowl. He glanced at her pale face and moved it to the floor.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Johnny?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Yeah?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Can I use your shower?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Sure kid.I’ll get you some clean clothes to wear.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> As he helped her to her feet he looked down, </span>
  <span class="s2">surreptitiously,</span>
  <span class="s1"> at her body, he didn’t miss the way her muscles tensed when she stood, or the way she wrapped her arms around herself. Her T-shirt stretched across her back and he could see that the fabric was bloody as well as torn in a few places. The damage went over her hip and the leg of her shorts in lines… Almost like she’d been cut with something sharp. He glanced at the couch, at the small bloodstains on the cushions where she’d been sitting…</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>No… No way…Even those Cobra Kai punks wouldn’t… Would they?</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> He’d done some regrettable things as a kid in Cobra Kai but he knew he’d never have… <em>Tortured </em>someone… Not even in his nightmares, certainly not a girl.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> He went to the bedroom and found his last clean towel, T-shirt and sweatpants, folded them and left them outside the bathroom door.He waited until he could hear the shower running before he texted Carmen.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Hi. Sorry, I know you’re tired but there’s a situation. I need you to come to my place as soon as you get home.</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> He dialed his phone and let it ring.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Hello?” </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Amanda?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Johnny! Sam didn’t come home from school…”</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “I know, she’s here.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“ Oh thank God! “ </em>Her voice broke.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“ I was just about to call you! Danny and Miguel and I split up to look for her… She’s at your place?”</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Amanda…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“What? What happened?”</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Are you driving right now?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Yes, Anthony and I are heading to the dealership. ” </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Pull over.” He waited a few seconds until the engine sound stopped.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Ok?”</em> Amanda’s voice was clipped, tight with worry.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “She’s Ok… But… She got jumped, on the way over to Miguel’s. Roughed up pretty bad…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Oh God! Put her on, please!” </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “She’s in the shower… Carmen is going to check her over when she gets in.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“How bad?”</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Not hospital bad… But pretty bad.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Oh God! I’m coming ok, tell her I’m on my way.” </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Amanda… Wait… I need you to do something first.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Yes?”</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Get Miguel home. It’s not safe for him out there right now.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Oh… OH… Johnny! Tell me it fucking wasn’t …” </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “It was.” There was no point denying it… He waited for the explosion.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“I’m going to kill John Kreese!” </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “You and me both…”He’d called her instead of Danny thinking <em>she’d</em> be the level headed one. So much for that.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Then I’m going to hunt down those little psychopaths and wring their necks! Do you know who?” </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “She wouldn’t say.” He lied. “She said not Robby, but that’s it.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Thank God… I’ll go get the others and meet you at your place.” </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Ok… And…Amanda?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Yeah?”</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Don’t be mad in front of her, she’s really shaken up.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> There was a pause on the other end of the line, a tearful breath.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Ok Johnny.”</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> “Bye.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Then he sat on the couch, put his head in his hands and let out a shaky breath. For a long moment he stayed like that, a weird, sick feeling hitting him like a train.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">************************** </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Johnny Lawrence’s bathroom wasn’t exactly the cleanest, but Sam was desperate to shower. The longer she sat in her own blood the filthier she felt. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sam tried not to make a sound as she pulled off her clothes, the lycra stuck to her injuries, pulling the cuts open again. She turned on the shower and threw the T-shirt and shorts into the tray along with her underwear, and let them soak in the water, watching as it turned pink and washed down the drain. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was a real dude’s bathroom. No mirror, but she caught a look at herself in the glass shower door. Tory had kept the bike chain to her torso, she was slashed with jagged cuts and welts from her shoulders to her thighs. The bleeding had mostly stopped… Her upper arms were bruised almost black already. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She hissed as she stepped under the stream of warm water. She had known it would hurt. She didn’t care, better to be clean. He didn’t seem to have soap… She picked up the shampoo bottle and poured it all over herself. <em>Better than nothing.</em> It stung her wounds… <em>Good, burn it out! Serves you right… Idiot!</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She soaped her hair then reached between her legs with a handful or suds. she bit her hand in an effort not to scream. No one had ever touched her there before. Ever. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>“You think you can just get away with anything? Huh? Little rich girl? everything given to you on a plate? The big house, the happy family, the good education, the BOY?”</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Tory was red faced with fury. Her eyes bright with angry tears. Sam didn’t think she’d ever seen anyone so full of rage, it was truly terrifying. As she lay on the concrete, panting with pain and exhaustion, too scared to speak: She began to understand.</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>It didn’t matter who she was… She was just there. An object for that hate to hit. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <b>
      <em>What happened to you?</em>
    </b>
    <em> Her concussed brain wondered. </em>
    <b>
      <em>Who or what did this to you?</em>
    </b>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>“I told you this wasn’t over” The other girl said before she swung the bike chain. Sam screamed, writhed on the rough floor and tried to crawl away. “Hold her down” Tory ordered the boys. Two of them obliged. Tory swung the chain again, and again, and again. Sam’s vision swam. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>“Tory that’s enough!” She heard a voice yell in the periphery.</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>“YOU WOULD SAY THAT!” Tory screamed, almost manic now. “You want to fuck her don’t you? Always did! You all do!” She knelt beside Sam on the concrete. She pulled Sam’s head back by the hair and put a hand under the waistband of her shorts and grabbed her crotch. Sam froze, too terrified to make a sound or move.</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>“What the hell are you doing!?” A boy’s voice, horrified, confused. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>“Shut the fuck up Kyler!”</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <b>
      <em>Is she going to kill me?</em>
    </b>
    <em> Was all Sam could think. </em>
    <b>
      <em>Am I going to die here, on the concrete?</em>
    </b>
    <em> She couldn’t breathe, her heart was pumping so fast she thought it might explode out of her chest. Tory pushed her fingers inside her roughly. She pulled Sam’s head back further and growled in her ear like an animal. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>“You… like… that… Sam? She punched each word into her with all the strength of her arm. “This what you want from all the boys you steal? Mmm? You… Fucking… Slut…” She hissed in Sam’s ear. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Sam tried to scream but her breath was caught silent in her throat. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>“You think your life is so safe and perfect? Don’t forget… I know where you live bitch!”</em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Sam thought she might have passed out for a moment. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>Suddenly there was a yell, the agony stopped, and Tory was gone. Sam fell forward and lay on the concrete, frozen in shock. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>“What’s wrong with you? What the FUCK Tory?” Kyler had thrown the other girl across the room and was squaring up to fight as Tory stood up, dusting herself off. Tears were running down her face. In her frenzy she’d forgotten herself. Sam could tell. By the time she realised how far she’d gone… She’d gone too far. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>It couldn’t be undone. Couldn’t be taken back. </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">
    <em>“Thats ENOUGH!” Kyler screamed “ We have to get the out of here before we get caught you fucking psycho!” </em>
  </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Johnny…<em>Sensei Lawrence</em>… He'd been so nice to her... She wanted to weep again at the thought. He hadn’t yelled at her for how stupid she'd been. Hadn’t made her tell him… Maybe he didn’t care? She wasn’t his kid after all. She could see that he suspected something, he hadn’t said anything. <em>Thank God!</em> He hadn’t insisted on hospital. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She wasn’t dying. She knew that much, and she’d been beaten up enough times to know that, as bad as it looked and felt right now, her body would heal itself before long. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Then she could forget this ever happened. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> Just as long as no one found out. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Eventually she dried herself and dressed. She swam in his clothes but the pants had a drawstring and they were really soft. She was aware that she had left his towel bloody and hoped the same wouldn’t happen to his clothes. She rolled up the cuffs and padded carefully into the main room, holding the wall for support. Her ankle had swollen to three times its normal size and couldn’t bare any weight. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She could hear soft voices. Sure enough there in the living room area were Johnny, Carmen, her Parents, and Brother, and Miguel… All looking equally pale and drawn with worry . Carmen looked up and put her hand to her mouth with a gasp.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bebé que ha pasado!?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Miguel had said that when she was upset she reverted back to Spanish. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hi.” She murmured as they looked up. She had hoped to hold it together. She really had, but the moment she saw her Dad’s face she reached out to him and he practically flew across the room to catch her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  
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</p><p class="p1">
  
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</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">Johnny left early for Saturday afternoon class the next day. Miguel was subdued in the car. Staring wistfully out the window instead of his usual talkative self.</p><p class="p2">“I guess neither of us got much sleep last night huh?” He pondered out loud.</p><p class="p2">“Mmmm.” Miguel replied, away in his own head somewhere. Probably drifting back to last night like Johnny kept doing.</p><p class="p2">“Your Mom get any rest? She’s on day shift today isn’t she?”</p><p class="p2">“Yeah…”</p><p class="p2">
  <em>After Carmen had taken Sam into her apartment to check her over, the room had erupted in questions, accusations and general yelling. Johnny had to raise his voice and tell them all to shut the hell up so he could answer their questions. </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>He wasn’t sure how much to tell. If Miguel had the full story about Cobra Kai he was sure to go off half cocked and get himself hurt… Again. He couldn’t tell the LaRussos the full story either. </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>He settled on a three quarter truth, leaving names out of the mix. That way no one could go murder anyone at least. He also didn’t say anything about Sam responding to a note and going voluntarily to fight.The last thing he wanted to do was get Sam in trouble right now. He was pretty sure Danny and Amanda weren’t the type of parents who’d blame their own kid for something like this but… She was so worried about it, how did he know? It wasn’t like he had much experience with decent parents himself. </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>If she wanted to tell them the full story she could. He wasn’t going to force her hand. </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>The LaRussos had been furious, of course. But taking things more or less in their stride. It wasn’t the first Time Sam had been bullied or taken a beating…Although never on this scale.But there was a quiet devastation on Miguel’s face that he was finding hard to shake. </em>
</p><p class="p2"><em>He’s in love with her.</em> He thought<em>.</em></p><p class="p2">“Don’t go do anything stupid.” He said, as he pulled up to <span class="s1">Miyagi Do</span><span class="s2">. </span></p><p class="p4">“What?”</p><p class="p4">“You heard me. I don’t want to teach you to walk again after you go on some damn idiot revenge spree.”</p><p class="p4">“I wasn’t going to.” Miguel said tersely. before exiting the car and going to sweep the steps.</p><p class="p4">“Sure you weren’t.” He muttered to himself.</p><p class="p4">Damage control, he suspected, was his job today. Daniel sat on the front steps drinking a coffee, dark rings under his eyes betraying the kind of night he’d had. Johnny went into the kitchen and made his own coffee then sat beside him.</p><p class="p4">“How is she?”</p><p class="p4">“She went straight to bed and hasn’t left her room since.” Daniel murmured. “ Anthony camped on her bedroom floor. He said she was scared to sleep alone. She’s… She’’s just terrified Johnny.”</p><p class="p4">“She talk to you about anything?”</p><p class="p4">“No. She only said she didn’t want any reprisals.”</p><p class="p4">“Thats not like her.” Johnny observed. Daniel smiled at the truth of it.</p><p class="p4">“I think she just wants and end to the violence now.” He said sadly. “ I don’t know if she’ll ever come back to the Dojo. She had enough trouble fighting again after they broke Demitri’s arm.”</p><p class="p4">“Daniel?” Johnny cleared his throat awkwardly. He wasn’t sure how to ask the question. “ Was she hurt… Worse than I thought?”</p><p class="p4">“Daniel bit his lip, visibly struggling with his emotions. “Yeah.”</p><p class="p4">He had to know. “ How bad?”</p><p class="p4">“Carmen said… She’d been whipped.” His voice cracked and he wiped his eyes hurriedly. “ With a bike chain… She’s all torn up… Needed stitches...Honestly...if it hadn't been for you Johnny...” </p><p class="p4">Johnny felt physically sick for a moment. <em>There's something seriously wrong with that Tory kid</em>.</p><p class="p4">“...Shit!… No wonder she’s scared… Do you want to go home and stay with her? I’ll take the class today.”</p><p class="p4">He shook his head. “ I want to… But we have to keep things looking normal. If the kids get wind of it we’ll have a full scale war on our hands.” He got up with a sigh “I’ll tell Miguel to say she's sick if anyone asks.”</p><p class="p4">Johnny wondered if radio silence from the other Dojos would be enough to stop Cobra Kai. They were Kreese’s kids now. And out for blood.</p><p class="p4">“Daniel?”</p><p class="p4">Daniel stopped and looked over his shoulder.</p><p class="p4">“We have to get Robby away from him.”</p><p class="p4">“I know Johnny… Believe me. It’s all I’ve thought about since that night.”</p><p class="p4">“He’s a very sick man… And his sickness is spreading to the kids.” Johnny said. Speaking his true feelings about Kreese for the first time.</p><p class="p4">“Yeah… Yeah it is. ” Daniel agreed.</p><p class="p4">They had to win that championship. They had no other choice.</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p4">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p4">Sam lay on her side, staring out the window. Anthony sat on a mattress on her floor, playing his Nintendo Switch. He’d held her hand in the car last night and hadn’t left her side since. Maybe it wasn’t so bad having an annoying little brother around after all.</p><p class="p4">“Tony…You don’t have to stay there you know.” She said “I’ll be ok on my own.”</p><p class="p4">He shrugged. “As good as any place.” Hewas entirely focused on his game. He was right. She was pretty sure he didn’t know which house he was in half the time let alone which room.</p><p class="p4">She burrowed deeper beneath the blanket and waited for her Mom to come up with her afternoon painkillers. She hadn’t looked at herself in the mirror yet and didn't want to either. But she was pretty sure she must resemble ground beef. She certainly felt like it.</p><p class="p4">She’d dumped her phone in her locker before leaving school yesterday. Now she had no way of contacting Miguel until she could get it. <em>Crap! </em>She hadn’t really spoken to him yesterday…. He’d hugged her, after Carmen took her back to Johnny's apartment. She’d flinched. She had hated that she’d done that, the look on his face.</p><p class="p4">She wished he was here now. She missed him with a burning pain in her chest. She watched the driveway, any moment expecting a fleet of Cobra Kai motorcycles to show up</p><p class="p4">They’d be back. They always were.</p><p class="p4">
  <em>I hate her!</em>
</p><p class="p4">She listened to Anthony clicking his console.</p><p class="p4">
  <em>I hate her! </em>
</p><p class="p4">Her back throbbed.</p><p class="p4">
  <em>I hate her!</em>
</p><p class="p4">She hurt deep in her belly, between her legs. Where no one knew about.</p><p class="p4">
  <em>I hate her!</em>
</p><p class="p4">A hand on her arm. She flinched violently. Anthony. Clearly not as absorbed in his game as he thought.</p><p class="p4">“Don’t cry Sam…You want me to get mom?”</p><p class="p4">Had she been crying? She wiped her face. “Um.. No…I need some painkillers… Can you bring me the aspirin? ”She looked at him gratefully. Her Mom had been amazing all day. But she was sick of being checked on, fussed over, asked questions. Tony had been great. Silent, solid and just <em>there. </em>He might not be much of an athlete and a bit of a puzzle to Dad. But he was actually pretty chill in a crisis.</p><p class="p4">He returned with the pills and some water. After that she must have fallen asleep. Because when she woke up it was getting dark out and someone else was sitting up, legs stretched out beside her on the bed.</p><p class="p4">“Miguel?” She said, turning toward him painfully and wiping the sleep out of her eyes.</p><p class="p4">“Hey!” He Smiled gently. “You’re awake.”</p><p class="p4">“How’d you get here?” She murmured, trying to smile back with her swollen lip.</p><p class="p4">“Your Dad bought me. I’m staying for dinner… If that’s ok with you?”</p><p class="p4">She nodded.</p><p class="p4">“You need anything?”</p><p class="p4">She shook her head.</p><p class="p4">His face became more serious, he cleared his throat. “Sam…I…” He swallowed thickly. “I’m so sorry.”</p><p class="p4">“What for?” She whispered.</p><p class="p4">“Sensei Lawrence said… He said you came looking for me yesterday… Iwas here, looking for <em>you</em>…. I wish I’d been home… I’d have…”</p><p class="p4">“It’s Ok… Johnny looked after me.”</p><p class="p4">"My mom told me what they did to your back."</p><p class="p4">"Miguel..."</p><p class="p4">“I just can’t believe I wasn’t there for you when…” He squeezed his eyes shut. Fighting tears.” I just wish I’d walked you home or taken the bus with you from school. If I’d only been more aware….I’dhave known the Cobra’s were hangingout downtown I’d… “ He raised hie eyes heavenward “Jesus Sam I’d have done <em>anything</em> to stop them.”</p><p class="p4">“Miguel…”</p><p class="p4">“Please forgive me. I’ll never let it happen aga…”</p><p class="p4">
  <em>“Migu</em>
  <em>el!”</em>
</p><p class="p4">He stopped talking and turned to her. His eyes swimming with unshed tears. Breaking her heart with his misplaced sense of guilt.</p><p class="p4">She took a deep breath. “<em>I</em> went to <em>them</em>.” She said, as clearly as she could.</p><p class="p4">“Wh… What?</p><p class="p4">“Tory left a note in my locker. I thought I was going to fight her at the old furniture warehouse.”</p><p class="p4">“By yourself?” You didn’t say<em> anything</em> to me!” He looked confused, betrayed. Her heart sank. <em>Please don’t do this!</em></p><p class="p4">“I didn’t want to involve anyone else. It was between me and her…I thought.”</p><p class="p4">He frowned, confusion and growing anger written on his face. “And they… She… <em>She set you up?</em>”</p><p class="p4">“I don’t know why I trusted her. Stupid mistake on my part.” She spat. “So <em>stupid</em>.”</p><p class="p4">“So Tory was one... Who else?” He hissed between his teeth. Getting up and pacing the room.</p><p class="p4">“You know I’m not going to tell you that.”</p><p class="p4">“Sam!” He threw up his hands in frustration.“Theres a HUGE difference between a heat of the moment street fight and… Whatever the fuck this was… They <em>planned</em> it! Trapped you and… <em>Tortured </em> you! We can’t let this slide! It’s sick!”</p><p class="p4"><em>You have no idea</em>. She thought with a shudder.“Miguel… Enough.” She whined “I’m tired.”</p><p class="p4">He shook his head. “Please Sam! You <em>have</em> to tell me who, besides Tory… I can’t face them in school tomorrow without knowing… We have allies now! We can take them!”</p><p class="p4">“Thats exactly why I’ll never tell you. I don’t want anymore of this dojo warfare bullshit…”</p><p class="p4">“We can’t let them get away with this!” He was tearful with rage now. She could see the violent fantasies working in his head. He wanted revenge so badly he could taste it.</p><p class="p4">“Well we <em>have</em> to! “ She hissed. “ We don’t have a choice Miguel! So put your EGO aside for once and LET IT GO!”</p><p class="p4">He went quiet then. She could tell she’d hurt him.But she knew she had to be cruel to be kind this time. “The Cobra’s have changed… It’s not just about the fight for them anymore. They're dangerous now."</p><p class="p4">“So… We just… Let them win?” He stared at her in disbelief.</p><p class="p4">“We just survive.” She said. “That's all that matters.”</p><p class="p4">“I can’t do that.”He said. She could see the honesty in his eyes.</p><p class="p4">“Then leave.” She said, tears starting in her eyes.</p><p class="p4">He was crying too. "Sam please... Don't..."</p><p class="p4">“Get out!”</p><p class="p4">He closed his eyes for a moment. Then walked out of the room. Carefully closing the door behind him. </p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p4">xxxxxxxxxxxxx</p><p class="p4">What felt like hours later, the door opened again. It was her Dad. He was carrying a tray of food, which he placed on her bedside table. </p><p class="p4">"Hey Pumpkin." He said gently, sitting on the bed beside her. "I've just dropped Miguel home, he was pretty upset about something. You wanna tell me what happened between you guys earlier?" </p><p class="p4">She shook her head. </p><p class="p4">"I'm guessing he wants to go out and kick some ass? Am I right?"</p><p class="p4">She nodded. "I Wouldn't give him names... I don't want him getting hurt... "</p><p class="p4">He nodded, " Of course you don't... But think about it...  If Miguel was in the same situation as you are right now... Because of some Cobra Kai punks... Would anything stop <em>you</em> from kicking someone's ass?"</p><p class="p4">She was silent for a moment. She hadn't thought about it like that before. He was right. She'd be tearing off limbs if anyone hurt Miguel again.</p><p class="p4">She shrugged. The movement pulled at her stitches and she cried out. He reached out for her, face full of concern. "Sammy I don't know how to touch you without making it worse.. Where does it hurt?."</p><p class="p4"> "My shoulder, It's ok, I just pulled at it a bit." She said, wincing. He took a pillow and helped her sit forward, it felt softer and more comfortable. </p><p class="p4">"Sam... What are you afraid will happen if Miguel finds out who hurt you?" She knew the unasked question...<em>Why wont you tell me who hurt you?</em></p><p class="p4">"Last time he got thrown over a railing and was paralyzed." She said. </p><p class="p4">"And this time?"</p><p class="p4">"Someone might get killed."</p><p class="p4">He said nothing for a long moment, his eyes were so sad, as though he was remembering some long ago loss. </p><p class="p4">"Is that how you felt Pumpkin? Like you might die?"</p><p class="p4">She nodded. "They... It wasn't Karate anymore." She whispered.</p><p class="p4">He took her hand in his and circled his thumb over her scabbed knuckles. "I didn't get into Karate to hurt people." He said softly." And I know I'm not capable of murder. " But I've been in a couple of situations where I thought my number was up... People have a lot of anger. Karate either helps them channel it or... Weaponizes it. I firmly believe that not everyone should learn Karate... Some people shouldn't have the chance to abuse that kind of power."</p><p class="p4">"But they do!" Exclaimed Sam impatiently. "So what can we do to protect ourselves? I mean... They know where I live.." She shuddered. "They go to school with me and all my friends..."</p><p class="p4">"We beat them at the All Valley Championship and Kreese disbands the Dojo." He said. </p><p class="p4">"Yeah but they'll still be around. Even if Cobra Kai isnt."</p><p class="p4">"So we do what normal people do and take them to court?" He suggested. "I didn't want to say it while you were still in shock.But... What they did to you was premeditated,  aggravated assault Sam... They belong in Juvie."</p><p class="p4">"No!" The exclamation burst out of her mouth. "I don't want to do that!"</p><p class="p4">"Why not Sammy? It's the obvious thing to do. We can call a lawyer tomorrow. Take you to the doctor, get her to  sign an afadavit, then go to the cops..."</p><p class="p4">"No... I... I can't do that! Don't ask me to Dad!" Her heart was pounding at the thought of anyone questioning her, or examining her. <em>No one can know about that... No one! </em></p><p class="p4">"I know it seems like a lot right now but..." He noticed her breathing had becone erattic. He stopped speaking and , very carefully, pulled her into a hug. "Ok... It's OK Pumpkin... Its OK" He soothed, rocking her slighly as she tried to calm her panic. "We wont do that if you dont want to."</p><p class="p4">They stayed like that for a long time. she rested her head on his shoulder.</p><p class="p4">"You know Mom and I love you more than anything... And you can tell us anything right Sam?" He whispered in her ear. "Absolutely <em>anything</em>." </p><p class="p4">In her father's arms she finally felt safe... She could have told him then. If it hadn't been for the doubt gnawing at her. Imagining his reaction turning sour. <em>" What were you thinking? Why would you be so...I can’t believe you didnt..." This is your fault! " </em></p><p class="p4">Or worse..<em>. "I dont believe you!"  </em></p><p class="p4">She could handle everything that happened to her up until now... But she couldnt handle that.</p><p class="p4">So she clung to him instead. Because  right now he was her life raft. </p><p class="p4">"Can you stay with me tonight? Please Dad?" She whimpered. </p><p class="p4">He nodded and  kissed the top of her head. "Of course... I'll be right here... All night." </p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p4"> </p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p3"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a very talky chapter but more plot is coming!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">It was a week later that Miguel sucker punched Hawk right in the face while sparring. Johnny had been watching from across the Dojo lawn as he led a small group of newbies in basic Katas.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Miguel had come in pissed. Maybe something had happened at school, or maybe it was his recent bust up with Sam… The kid hadn’t said much but was clearly seething and looking for someone to take it out on. Of course Hawk had immediately retaliated and it had almost become a big thing.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Hey! Hey! Hey!” LaRousso rushed over, stepping between them. “Break it up! What's wrong with you two?” Gone was his usual patience. He looked genuinely distressed. In fact he looked wreaked, worse than Johnny had ever seen him. His instinct was to take over before Daniel fell over. But he knew LaRousso wouldn’t take kindly to being undermined in front of the students. So he stayed away, ready to step in if needed.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The kids were glaring at each other. Miguel yelled something about “Cobra Kai Assholes” and Hawk lunged at him again. To Johnny’s surprise and, if he was honest, lasting delight... Daniel chopped them both in the stomach and flipped them onto their backs in quick succession. He stood between them with a look on his face that <em>dared </em>them to get up.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Johnny turned to his terrified new students. “Let that be a lesson to you all. Sensei LaRousso takes no shit from anybody. You watch out for that guy, he’s crazy!” He smirked as he left them staring and walked over to help.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Whats going on?” He asked, pinning Miguel's chest to the lawn playfully with his foot. Miguel growled, reminding Johnny of nothing as much as an angry puppy. While Hawk looked over at him with enraged confusion.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I didn’t do anything you dick!” He yelled. “What the hell was that for?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Daniel took one look at Johnny and, without a word, went to take Johnny’s place with the new kids.<em> “Please deal with this “</em>being the unspoken request. Johnny tried not to smile when he saw how petrified they looked to see Daniel walking over to them with a face like thunder. He looked down at the kids.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Ok dickweeds… Time out!” He pulled them each up by one ear and marched them, whining and squirming, inside. “Sit!” He pointed at the mats… "Opposite sides of the room!” He added when he saw that they were about go side by side.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You think that was a good example to set for the new kids? Huh? This whole thing was meant to be about mutual respect!” He was about to go into full on Kreese style Army mode when he glanced at Miguel and saw that the kid looked alarmingly close to tears.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Kreese would have mocked him and screamed at him until he cried.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He wasn’t going to do that. He softened his tone.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Its been a stressful week for everyone… I get that… There's tension between Eagle Fang and Ex Cobra Kai… I get that too… A lot of kicked asses and a lot of water under the bridge… But… As a weird old Japanese guy once said…” He nodded at the picture of Mr Miyagi on the wall.  "For a Man With No Forgiveness In his Heart, life is a Worse Punishment Than Death…. Solet’s put an end to the bullshit. Kiss and make up. “</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I’m not kissing him!” Hawk yelled immediately. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Not literally idiot!” Miguel snapped. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Whats your problem Diaz? I thought we were good?” Hawk said, with real hurt in his eyes. “I thought we were over it… What happened?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Miguel gaped like a goldfish, unable to reply for a moment. “I… I dunno… I’m sorry Hawk… I’m in a shitty mood today I guess. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The anger in the room seemed tohave dissipated a bit. Johnny knew he had to leave them with some kind of lecture but was fucked if he knew what to say. He clapped his hands together.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Ok… Here’s the pep talk… Ready?” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The kids were looking up at him, hanging on his words like he was Jesus Christ, and he had to admit, it felt good…<em>Jesus… Christ… Yeah.</em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I’ve known John Kreese since I was a little kid… I was in Cobra Kai for years. It’s not a Dojo… It never was. It’s a Cult. Like Scientology or the Kardashians… And you…” He pointed at them both “...Got out! You un-brainwahed yourselves. So feel good about it and move on! Forgive each other like the old man said when he saved my life.” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">On that note he walked out, leaving the two gobsmacked boys staring after him.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">"Miagi saved his life?" Hawk exclaimed.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“He knows who the Kardashians are?” Miguel said in disbelief.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Then they both cracked up. Laughing until they couldn’t breathe. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Sorry again man… Seriously.” Miguel said, wiping his eyes. It’s been a really shitty week and I forgot we were supposed to be allies… It took a lot of guts for you to leave them and I didn’t give you credit for it.” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“It’s ok dude. I still feel pretty terrible about all the shit I did. I'd probably punch myself if I could.” Hawk looked pretty depressed, Miguel realised, he had for a while. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Nah… We've all done shit, if we’re supposed to forgive each other we should forgive ourselves too huh?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Hawk thought about it for a while. "Yeah, I guess you're right... Um... Should we go apologise to Sensei LaRousso after class? I've never seen him that mad before."</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Miguel sighed. "Yeah... I guess so."</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">"Maybe He's worried about Sam..." Hawk continued. Miguel froze in place. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">"W...What?" Miguel was frozen to the spot. Suddenly unable to move.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">"I read Mono can be kind of serious for some people."</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">"Oh..." <em>Mono was Sam's cover story for her absence. </em> "Yeah...She's really sick. "</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Hawk looked concerned. Miguel was pale as a ghost. "You OK dude? Is she that bad? Maybe we should all throw together a card or bunch of balloons or something?"</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">In that split second, as they walked back outside into the sun, Miguel wanted to scream. To yell the truth for everyone to hear, a declaration of war.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> <em>BALOONS WON'T FIX A DAMN THING!</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"><em>"</em>Yeah." He said "Lets do that." </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> <em>Xxxxxxxxxx</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">As punishment for their scrap, Johnny assigned the two boys newbie duty while he pulled Daniel aside into the dojo... He was on a pep talk high and thought he'd better use it.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">"Sit down before you fall down LaRousso." He said. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Daniel slowly sank down onto a mat. He looked so drained Johnny thought he might pass out. He fetched a glass of water and set it down beside him. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You look like shit. ” He said without preamble.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“My kid won’t sleep without me in the room, and then not for more than five minutes at a time.” Daniel murmured.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Shit. Sorry Daniel.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“We’ll have to call the Doctor and get sleeping pills at this rate.” He said, closing his eyes and resting his head against the wall.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Johnny felt a chill up his spine. Sleeping pills had been the start of Shannon’s drug problem. She’d had a breakdown... <em>A Major Depressive Episode </em>and been given a low dose that eventually crept higher and higher for the same effect, and after a while no effect at all. The idea of Sam, with all her potential, ending up like that made him feel sick...</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Great.” Johnny said, sitting down beside him. “All she needs now is a Benzo addiction to top it off.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Daniel opened one eye“Thats what Amanda said… She thinks Sam needs us to take it to the police…But… Sam won’t even think about it… She had a panic attack when I suggested it.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Johnny had tried very hard not to think about the aftermath of that night. But now it flooded back:</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> <em>He’d cleaned out the shower. Seen the bloody towel she’d left hanging over the rail. She’d stuffed her ripped up clothes into the trash. He took them out, they were soaking wet, like she’d showered in them.</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I’m thinking I made a huge mistake not taking her to the hospital.” He said, honestly. “I thought she was hurt worse than I could see but I didn’t want to freak her out by checking.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“She said she refused to go.” Daniel said. “What were you supposed to do? Carry her?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“If I had to yeah… I was the adult in the situation. I let a hurt kid call the shots.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Well… You and me both then I guess. I could insist, <em>force</em> her to talk to the cops… I don’t know if there’s any other way… I mean, we could change schools I guess?” He put his head in his hands. “ Jesus Christ!<em> She </em>shouldn’t have to be the one to change schools!” His voice cracked. “She’s the one having to keep secrets from everyone else, at home, alone, stitched up like a baseball! While those little…” He clenched his fists. “ They just get to go on like normal! Like nothing happened.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Johnny put a hand on Daniel’s shoulder for a moment. The man looked beyond devastated and exhausted. He wished he could be the Yoda right now and offer some wisdom but he was no good at that stuff.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Do you know what I did yesterday Johnny?” Daniel asked. “I went to confront Tory Nichols at work… Sam won’t say it, but I <em>know </em>she was involved somehow. It’s <em>always</em> been her. I went and looked for her but luckily it was her day off. I have no idea what I’d have done if she’d been there. <em>Thats</em> what I've been reduced to. Stalking little brats at the arcade. Jesus!”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Theres something wrong with that kid.” Johnny muttered.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You’re telling me. She’s had it in for Sam since day one… Boy trouble apparently…. Shit… It’s like girl versions of us isn’t it? Maybe the two of them will make up and run a Dojo together one day.” He laughed, a little hysterically.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I guess I did gang up on you with the Cobras that time.” Johnny admitted. “Dick move on our part... Maybe I'm not that different from the kids who hurt Sam."</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">"Well… I provoked you.” Daniel shrugged. “I was expecting it, and I didn’t end up…” He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. “In the state Sam’s in… Not even close.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I didn’t… Abuse you though did I?” Johnny said, questioning himself more than Daniel... “ But…I mean… maybe it <em>was</em> kinda the same? I got picked on at home and took it out on you…Sure…But I never… I mean I wouldn’t have…”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Randomly jumped me and beaten me into stitches with a bike chain?” Daniel finished. “No. No you wouldn’t have, and I know for <em>sure</em> you'd never have hit a girl... You were pissed off and acting out but you weren’t, and aren’t, a sadist  Johnny.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Johnny fought a sudden lump in his throat. “Yeah you sure about that? I had a couple of good role models for it.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You’re not Kreese. He might have bought out the worst in you. But you were never anything like him. I always knew that.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You have no idea how jealous I was of you.” Johnny admitted.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Daniel looked at him curiously. “'Cause of Ali Mills?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“No, <em>Him</em>.” He pointed at the picture of Miyagi. “You had someone to protect you. Hell the guy saved <em>my</em> life twice!”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Twice?”Daniel frowned. “I remember the first time….”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Johnny rubbed his throat at the memory.“If Kreese bought out the worst in me, Miyagi bought out the best in you…The last time… When Kreese was strangling me. I felt like I was 16 years old again and totally fucked. If you hadn’t come along…”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Daniel shook his head, anger flashing in his eyes. “I can’t believe that bastard tried to kill you twice.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">"I can't believe I left my son with him." Johnny replied. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Daniel opened and closed his mouth silently, then shook his head again. There was nothing he could say that wouldn't make him feel worse, Johnny guessed. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“What do you think Miyagi would’ve done about Sam?” Johnny asked.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Oh he loved her… He was a Grandfather to her. He’d have absolutely beaten those kids asses. Hell he’d never have allowed it to happen in the first place.” He sighed. “If only I’d been more aware… I could’ve seen this coming.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You need to sleep.” Johnny said. Patting Daniels shoulder. “ If you can’t sleep at night then catch up here… I’ll finish up with the kids.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Daniel yawned and nodded… “Thanks Johnny. You’re right… Thats all I need… Sleep… Perspective.” He lay down on his side.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He left Daniel sleeping on a mat in the dojo and went out to finish the class. Wondering how much more damage he was doing by keeping Sam’s secrets from her father. If he knew it was a <em>planned</em> attack by Tory and four boys… Targeting only Sam… Well… He’d understand what she was going through... But He’d also go and beat the living shit out of a bunch of kids. And while Johnny was all for it in principal, he didn’t want LaRusso in prison either.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Then there was what Sam had said… About them blaming her.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The more he got to know her parents the more sure he was that they weren’t those kind of people.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">But a lot of people, respectable people who seemed decent were, in fact, those kind of people. Clergymen who’d told his mother <em>“Its a wife’s duty Laura.”</em> Cops who’d said “<em> It takes two to tango lady”</em> when she and Johnny had shown up at the station with black eyes and bloody noses.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">His own Grandmother. Making sure his Mother kept quiet about her ‘domestics” with Sid. To avoid bringing shame on them. <em>“What would the neighbours think?”</em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">People like blaming people for being hurt by other people. He couldn’t be sure. Couldn’t trust it.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s1">Nope. He'd have to deal with this himself.</span> </em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</span>
</p><p class="p3">Sam had spent the afternoon with her mom, Amanda was working from home, she said, until Sam was ready go back to school. Sam felt guilty enough without that… Especially since she had no idea when that would be. She guessed in a week or two when her injuries had healed, she’d have to go back and face them. Well… At least Tory wouldn’t be there. But Kyler and the other three? What were their names? One was Steven, the other… <em>She could feel their fists, hitting her ribs, their hands gripping her wrists, holding her down with all their weight.</em></p><p class="p3">“Sam?” Her Mom’s voice snapped her out of her reverie. She had been sitting in her bedroom and now, somehow she was in the kitchen. <em>How did I get here?</em></p><p class="p3">“Are you OK Honey?” Amanda stood in the archway looking concerned.</p><p class="p3">Sam forced a smile. “ Yeah… I’m fine Mom.”</p><p class="p3">“Nice to see you up and about.” Her Mom said with a grin. “Want some Ice cream? Anthony’s about to order some.” <em>Too happy, too casual. </em></p><p class="p3">“I’m OK Thanks Mom. Not really hungry.”</p><p class="p3">“You sure? It would be good if you ate something…”</p><p class="p3">"I Will Mom… In a bit.”</p><p class="p3">Amanda stared at her for a moment like she was going to argue but then decided against it and smiled again.” OK Honey… Oh!Miguel left some stuff from your locker at the dealership. He thought you might want it…Its on the table.”</p><p class="p3">She vaguely remembered asking if someone could get the school to open her locker and get her phone for her and a couple of other things. But she was surprised to hear Miguel had done it. Weren’t they over? As in… No longer even friends?</p><p class="p3"><em>It’s not like he’d want you anyway, if he knew. </em>The cruel voice in the back of her mind taunted.</p><p class="p3">On the table she found her schoolbag. Packed inside were her books, her earphones, a few homework assignments and an envelope. She set it aside for a moment and just stared at the handwriting. She genuinely didn’t know what any of her friends handwriting looked like. It’s could be from anyone.</p><p class="p1">Eventually she screwed up her courage and opened it. It was a card with a puppy on it, it had a thermometer in its mouth and a bandage on its head.SORRY YOU’RE FEELING RUFF! was emblazoned on the front. GET WELL SOON inside. Along with messages from all her friends.</p><p class="p2">
  <em>They call it the Kissing Disease! I hope it was worth it! xxx Demetri</em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>Dearest! Sending all the healing energy I can muster your way. Moon</em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>Dear Sam. Sorry you feel like shit right now. We miss you. Hawk.</em>
</p><p class="p2">There were more, from Mitch, and Nathaniel... and even Yasmine. The kindness of the gesture struck her heart.  As she read it she found her eyes watering. If they knew the truth their sympathy wouldn't be so effusive. They's be as disgusted with her as she was with herself. </p><p class="p2">She found her phone at the bottom of the bag. Battery long dead. She took everything back upstairs. Kind of dreading having the phone again. Being incommunicado really took the pressure of those first few days. Now she'd have to talk to people, explain things, send updates. She climbed the stairs carefully, wincing in pain, Then collapsed on the bed. <em>Why am I so tired? All I want to do is sleep. </em></p><p class="p2">She plugged the phone in to charge and closed her eyes for a moment. Just to rest them...</p><p class="p2">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</p><p class="p1">
  <em>She watched the scene on a big movie screen. There she was… Walking into the warehouse… Thinking only Tory would be waiting inside…</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>"No! Stop! Don’t go in there!” She screamed to herself. But nothing changed, She watched helplessly as she was ambushed and beaten to the ground. The held down. She stared at Tory’s face as she prepared to hit her with the chain. </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Why… Why do you hate me this much?” She asked. Realizing, once again that Tory was looking through her rather than at her. </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“I’m not the one who made you like this! I didn’t hurt you!” She yelled at the screen. </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>But nothing changed….</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">She woke with a gasp. She hadn’t dropped off for long. But the images lingered in her mind. Her hands shook as she did what she always did when she woke and looked out the window. It was getting dark out but Dad’scar still wasn’t home. She felt a lot less safe when he wasn’t around. She knew that if <em>they</em> came back for more there would be nothing she could do to protect herself, Mom or Anthony in her current state.</p><p class="p1"><em>Didn’t do so well even in peak condition did you? </em>Said the cruel voice. <em>If you were a real fighter you wouldn’t be in this state now would you?Mr Miyagi would be ashamed of your failure. Your own father is so dissapointed in you! You…</em></p><p class="p1">He turned on her phone.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>28 notifications.</em>
</p><p class="p1">She groaned.Checking her voicemails first<em>.</em></p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  <b> <em>Friday:</em> </b>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Miguel:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Heyyy! You wanna hang out after school? Let me know… Buyyyee! “</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Miguel:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Heyyy! Where are you?“</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Mom</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Sam… Please call as soon as you get this, Were worried…”</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Dad:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Sam… Where the hell are you? “</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <b> <em>Saturday</em> </b>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>School: </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Samantha…. This is Linda from the vice principals office.You missed your appointment with the guidance councillor and we need some paperwork for the field trip. Please call us as soon as you get this. “</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Miguel:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Sam… I’m really sorry for how things went earlier… Sensei Lawrence said I had my head up my ass and had to remember this isn’t all about me… He’s totally right. I hope you can forgive me.”</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Miguel:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“I just remembered you don’t have your phone… I’ll drop it by the dealership tomorrow…. I hope you’re ok. “</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Unknown number:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Vague background noise…hang up.</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <b>Sunday</b>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Aisha:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Sam! Hey! Listen I just wanted to catch up. Let me know when’s good? I miss you! “</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <b>Monday</b>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Grandma:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>“Baby! Your Dad tells me you’re sick! You tell me when you feel up to a chat. Love you… Make sure your Mother makes you the clear chicken soup… Not the canned kind.”</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>School:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>"Samantha, This is Linda from the vice principal’s office. Your Mother called about your Mononucleosis. We’ll e-mail you your homework assignments and notes so you can keep up… Get well soon."</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">“Ugh!” Sam hung up. Wiping tears out of her eyes. DM’s next.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <b> <em>Friday</em> </b>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Group chat: Demetri:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Does anyone have notes for yesterdays English assignment?</em>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em>Miguel :</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Lemme know when you get this plz</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Miguel:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>I’m coming to your place, see you soon… I hope</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Mom:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Hey Sam… Everyone’s out looking for you… You have us really worried honey… Please get in touch as soon as you get this. </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Anthony:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Sam you’re in such trouble. </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Miguel:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Please be ok</em>
</p><p class="p1">In the couple of days following that, the "Get Well Soon" messages had poured in. Aisha had left a long one detaining her new school and how much she missed home. She’s had Mono already, she said, so she could come visit if Sam wanted company. All the Dojo guys had said something on the group chat.Mostly teasing her and Miguel over the “Kissing Disease”.</p><p class="p1">There was one Facebook Message.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>Johnny Lawrence:</em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em>YOU OK KID? </em>
</p><p class="p1">It was the only one she replied to.</p><p class="p1">
  <em>No. Not at all. </em>
</p><p class="p1">She turned the phone off and curled up. Pulling the covers over her head.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Johnny had finished class and left LaRusso sleeping at the Dojo. His first stop was to drop Miguel home. The kid was a little better than he had been that morning. Still brooding away though.</p><p class="p1">“Hey Miguel?” He asked before he got out of the car.</p><p class="p1">“Yeah?”</p><p class="p1">“You and I are gonna visit Sam on the weekend. Her Mom’s invited us both over for dinner and a movie, Carmen and Rosa too. She says she needs her friends around her right now."</p><p class="p1">He looked spooked. “I dunno If I should… She hasn’t replied to any of my messages.”</p><p class="p1">“Trust me. She’ll be better for seeing you. Just keep it light.” He said. patting the boy’s shoulder. “I’m proud of how you and Hawk dealt with everything today. You did good.”</p><p class="p1">“We didn’t get to apologise… Sensei dissapeared. Was he really mad?”</p><p class="p1">“Nah! Not at you. He’s stressed about Sam, that’s all.”</p><p class="p1">“Did he say anything about how she’s doing?”</p><p class="p1">“Not much. She’s still in bed most of the time.” He thought he’d spare Miguel the details and worry for now.</p><p class="p1">“I know you said I shouldn’t make this about myself… But I’m still <em>so</em> mad about it. I just want to punch every random guy I see at school, just incase it was one of them.”</p><p class="p1">“Oh I know the feeling..” Johnny said. “Use it to beat Cobra Kai at the championship if you really want to hurt ‘em.”</p><p class="p1">“What about… Robby?” Miguel asked cautiously.</p><p class="p1">Johnny sighed. “ He won’t thank me for it but I’m doing it for him too… The sooner he’s out of that cult the better.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</p><p class="p1">His second stop was the Arcade. He sat in his car in the shadows of some palm trees across the car park. Carefully observing the staff exit from behind some oversize sunglasses which were anything but inconspicuous. He waited for a few hours, listening to the radio. His phone beeped. A reply from Sam</p><p class="p1">
  <em>No. Not at all. </em>
</p><p class="p1"><em>Shit... </em>Well…At least she was being honest about it. He’d feel like crap too if he’d been beaten that badly in a fight…But… He couldn’t shake the feeling there was something else going on. His mind kept drifting back to that night when she showed up shredded on his doorstep. The way she’d reacted… <em>The Shame...</em>He just really, really hoped his instincts were wrong on this one. </p><p class="p1">Whatever had happened. He was going to find out.</p><p class="p1">He saw that vicious little bitch Tory leaving at around 6. She looked tired after her shift and preoccupied.He was about to honk his horn at her... But then she looked up at the sidewalk her face lit up in a smile. Someone approached her and they kissed, then he put his arm around her and they walked together down the street. His heart stooped for a moment at the sight of the young man.</p><p class="p1">It was Robby. He was smiling and laughing with her, he looked happier than Johnny had seen him years.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <em>Oh… Fuck!</em>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p5"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Well… If LaRusso had been a loser for stalking Tory at her job, Johnny was outstripping his creepiness by following the kids back to the girl’s shabby apartment complex. He kept plenty of distance and parked across the intersection and down from the entrance. he got out of the car and crept to the gate, watching as they went into one of the apartments. A small boy ran to hug them both at the door and they disappeared inside.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He waited for what felt like forever and finally Robby re-emerged wearing a 7-11 uniform. He started walking down the street opposite and Johnny pulled up beside him, opening the window.  When Robbie caught sight of himhis eyes widened and he started running. Johnny sped up and, when a safe distance in front of Robby, he swerved onto the sidewalk and blocked his path. Then got out of the car. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Robby looked every which way, clearly thinking about running. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wait!” Johnny said it with authority. He was done begging. “Just Wait… I need to talk to you.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What? You want to throw me into a locker unit again?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I apologised for that! It was an accident and it wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t throwing a fit at the time!” Johnny snapped. “Now get in the damn car and I’ll drive you to work!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His strategy of not giving Robby the option to say no was working. The boy stared at him for a long moment, seething with anger. But he could see Johnny meant business this time. He actually got into the car.Johnny got back in and backed off the sidewalk. He took a quick look at his son, noting a slight shadow on his eye socket. An almost faded shiner. <em>Training… Or a fight… Or Kreese. Take your pick.</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After a minute of uncomfortable driving in silence Robby spoke. His voice was tight. “So? What do you want?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You living with that Tory girl?” Johnny asked. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What if I am?” Robby said defensively. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She your girlfriend or…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Maybe…She needs help with the rent and looking after her Mom and Brother.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Whats wrong with her mom?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“None of your business! Listen, why are you doing this? You think you get to just walk back into my…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Telling him was like slapping his own child in the face. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1"><em>“You know… All those years you weren’t around… I blamed myself.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">The words haunted him. His terrible parenting had hand delivered his kid into Kreese’s clutches…and Tory’s bed by the looks of it. It broke Johnny’s heart that that every time Robby had anything resembling happiness it got corrupted. The kid couldn’t catch a break. And this time it was his own father doing it. But he still needed to know who he was living with. That was a fact. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1"><em>Shit! Do it quick, like tearing off a bandaid. </em>He pulled into the curb. The car behind him honked at him as it went past. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">“Sam LaRusso.” He said, cutting off Robby’s stream of hurt and outrage. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">Robby’s head snapped toward him. “Wh…What about her?” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">Johnny looked into Robby’s worried face and said, as clearly and sincerely as he could: “Sam LaRusso knocked on my door last Friday, covered in blood.” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">The blood drained out of Robby’s face. Johnny hated that. He wanted to stop talking, but the memory of Sam shivering on his doorstep was urging him on.</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">“She’d been beaten to hell by five Cobras. She said Tory had called her out to fight, alone, at a warehouse downtown. She said that when she arrived she was jumped by all five of them, she fought the till she couldn’t fight anymore, then they beat her with a bike chain… She needed twenty eight stitches.”</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">The facts were cold, clinical. But he couldn’t keep the emotion out of his voice as Robby’s face fought between disbelief, sorrow and anger. His breathing was fast… He waited for the kid to process. Eventually Robby regained control of his breathing. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">“So…” He said in a cold whisper. “Not only have you ruined every other part of my life… You decide to try to ruin the <em>one</em> good thing I’ve got going for me?” </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">“Robby! I…” Johnny didn’t know what to say. The words cut him to the bone. </span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t believe you.” He hissed. “ She wouldn’t do that.”</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">“Robby…I’m sorry, I really am. I don’t want to hurt you. I have <em>never </em>wanted that.But It <em>happened</em>… I was<em> there.”</em></span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">for a long moment Robby looked at him. Searching his fathers face for a lie, then he set his jaw. “Fuck you!”</span>
</p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s1">He got out of the car and ran down the sidewalk. </span>
</p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Johnny  drove aimlessly for a while , wondering if he’d done the right thing, <em>Probably not. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">On the way home he stopped at a gas station and spotted some flowers for sale in a bucket by the pumps. He picked some up on the way out. He refused to be alone tonight.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He ended up knocking on the Diaz’s door. Rosa gave him a peck on the cheek and invited him in. Offering him a coffee as she put the flowers in a vase.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Carmen was’t home from work yet. Miguel waved at him from the carpet, where he sat cross legged playing a video game with his giant headphones. He looked happier than he had earlier.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He needed this, the closeness and warmth that he never got from his own family. It was a new experience for him to be able to knock on a door and have it opened with enthusiasm. To be allowed to relax in room full of other people and for that to be unremarkable.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sat at the kitchen island and watched Rosa cook. She pushed a bowl of carrots at him and handed him the peeler. As they worked on dinner they tried to converse in broken Spanish. He barely had any memory of High School Spanish but it surprised him how bits and pieces came back to him. It was lucky that both of them understood more than they spoke.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Como esta la chica?” She asked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The…Girl…Sam? Um… She’s not too good.” He replied. “No bueno”. The old women clicked her tongue. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Did you see?” He pointed at his eyes. Wondering if she’d been there that night. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Rosa nodded sadly. “No good. When the boys do this to the girls… Very bad.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey…” He shrugged “Thats what I used to think, but the girls lucha bien these days.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“The girl always fight!” She muttered. “Old story, as long as there are men.” She cuffed an imaginary man around the earhole. “We fight. We sometimes win. But Boys fight sucio! Cinco contra uno!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Five against one</em>.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Cuatro chicos...una chica.” He told her, not wanting to let Tory off the hook just because she was a girl. He didn’t know who did what to Sam, but Tory had been the one to trick her into the situation. Rosa raised an eyebrow as she stirred the peppers.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had to admit though... He was struggling a little with the same issue she was. Maybe he was a sexist but…As a shitty teenage guy… Could he have ganged up like that on a girl? There were<em> implications</em> to that kinda thing…He hoped not.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When Miguel had been paralysed, hurt a lot worse than Sam was. Johnny had forced him out of bed and back in the saddle. And it had worked!</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So why didn’t he feel like marching into Sam LaRusso’s bedroom and dragging her out to punch some bags, get some payback or otherwise pull herself together? He liked the kid… She’d be good at it…</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He didn’t think it was because she was a LaRusso, or because he treated girls much different to boys. That was always how he dealt with emotional shit, slap it like a broken TV till the static cleared… Worked every time. Damn! He hated thinking this much.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The door opened and Carmen walked in with a smile for him. “Hey! What a nice surprise!” She gushed over the cheap flowers as she hung up her bag and washed her hands in the sink.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank you Johnny! Just what I needed after today.” She kissed him on the cheek. they weren’t advertising… Yet.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But they did find themselves alone later. After dinner, when Rosa and Miguel had gone to their rooms. They sat on the couch together, his arm around her, as they watched a gameshow with the sound off. She leaned into him, her hair ticking his chin.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How is she?” Carmen asked out of the blue. She’d been to visit the LaRusso’s a couple of days after the attack to check Sam’s stitches, but hadn’t seen her since. He took out his phone and showed her Sam’s Message. Carmen made a pained sound and handed it back to him.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I need to ask you something about that night.” He said.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ok?” She sat back, attentive.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You know… I’ve been thinking and there’s something so… Wrong…  About a group of boys attacking a girl like that…” He wasn’t sure how to put it. “And the whipping… It’s…” He searched for the word “…Perverted?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sadistic?” She offered. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yup. Exactly. And the way she was acting too… Like…She’s always been a cocky kid. I’ve never seen her like that before.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Like what?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Afraid of her own shadow… Ashamed of herself…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Like a victim.” She said. “I noticed it too.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nodded, tight lipped. “Do you know if…” He trailed off. Unable to say it. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you asking me if they raped her?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It surprised him that he winced at the word. He thought he was tougher than that. He nodded again.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She swallowed, looking queasy. “I don’t know Johnny. To be honest… I thought so, by her behaviour.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You didn’t… Check?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shook her head. “It’s not something I can just check… It would require hospital, a rape kit, do you understand? A certain kind of doctor, certain equipment… It’s not always obvious.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Did you ask her?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I did… She denied it, repeatedly. Wouldn’t let me see anything below her hips. I couldn’t make her of course. Did anything make you think of it?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shrugged. “She was so scared of hospital… And her parents finding out.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hmmm… Those would be signs, but they could also just be a scared child.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah… It’s just… I’ve been teaching her. She’s tough. She’s been roughed up before…Kinda a lot… and it wasn’t like this.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Theres a difference between accidentally stepping on someones toe and deliberately driving over it with your car.” Carmen said with a shrug. “Its the intention as well as the action that hurt her.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stared at her for a moment. That was a pretty perfect explanation. Maybe he’d been worried for nothing.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“God you’re smart” he said, leaning in and kissing her. "How do I reply to her message?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Well... What do you think would help her?' Carmen asked. What would help <em>you</em> in her situation?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">xxxxxxxxxx</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> <em>Come back to the Dojo. Not to train, Just to hang out. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">That had been the reply from Sensei Lawrence. She couldn’t imagine training right now, but… Just to hang out? While she recovered from “Mono”? Maybe she could manage that. It might be nice to be among friends again. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Sam was well aware that her Mom had planned the dinner to try and get her out of the funk she was in. Although her bruises were almost gone and her back nearly healed. Her insomnia had amped up from nightmare to actual hell and the sleeping pills weren't working. She hadn’t told anyone that and even told her Dad he could move off the mattress on her floor and back to his own bedroom. But it was pretty clear from the zombified state she was walking around in that all was not well. Several times her Mom or Dad, or both had tried to sit her down for a heart to heart. But she was opting for sullen denial right now and managed to avoid any real conversation. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Sam was dreading everyone’s arrival. She sat on the couch with Anthony, pretending to look at her phone. They all arrived in Johnny’s car and She could hear her Mom and Dad greeting everyone. She stood up when they filed into the living room. Forcing a smile, and working against her body’s instincts, she greeted Rosa, who fussed over her in Spanish, then Carmen and Johnny. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Lookin’ better kid.” He said as he hugged her lightly, mindful of her back. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Miguel hung back. rubbing his arm. He looked so unsure of himself that she just walked over to him and embraced him. He stiffened for a second then wrapped his arms around her.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Drinks?” Asked Daniel. “Anthony… Would you get the wine out of the fridge please?” Anthony rolled his eyes and did his fathers bidding for once. “Sam and Miguel could you go bring some beer and sodas up from the basement please?” He looked at her meaningfully. She almost laughed at his blatant attempt to get them alone.<em> Jeez thanks Dad!</em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Down in the basement they stood for a moment beside the beer fridge staring at each other. He cleared his throat. “I guess we should talk huh?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She fidgeted nervously. “Miguel…We don’t need to… Really…”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“No… Please… Let me just say something” He said nervously. “I’m so sorry Sam… I was really furious and I didn’t think about how you were feeling… I only thought of myself. Can you forgive me?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She nodded, trying not to cry.”I’m not mad anymore… I just… I’m scared.” She wiped her eyes on her sleeve.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Sam.” He said, putting his hand on her arm, his own lip trembling. “Please talk to me.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to calm her nerves. “Johnny wants me to come back to the Dojo… Which I think I can do… But Mom wants me to try to go back to school next week and … I’m scared I’ll see <em>them </em>there… And… I’m scared you’ll fight them and get expelled or… Or worse, get hurt again. I couldn’t handle it Miguel!” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Would it help if I swear on my grandmother that I won’t fight them? You know I’m serious ‘cause she makes the best food.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She laughed a little through her tears. “She does make the best food.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I’m serious Sam. I won’t do anything to make your life harder. I <em>promise… </em>Just try it. Your mom’s right. If you don’t get back out there you’ll feel worse. ”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“OK.” She whispered. “I’ll try it.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He smiled broadly.“Yay! It’s been no fun without you… and <em>definitely </em>come back to the Dojo! Everyone really misses you.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was that hint of childish enthusiasm she loved about him that finally made her smile for real and hug him. Then she drew back and kissed him lightly on the lips. His eyes widened a little. Then he kissed her back.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“<em>Hey!” </em>Yelled Johnny's voice from upstairs.<em> “We’re sober up here! Don’t you know how hard that is for people our age?”. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“We’re coming!” Miguel took a crate of beer out of the fridge and carried it up. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">The rest of the evening was surprisingly relaxed, no one mentioned the incident, no one asked her how she was, her Dad and Johnny passive aggressively teased each other. Amanda laughed at Johnny's jokes and Daniel had the horrific realisation that he'd basically married a female version of Johnny Lawrence. It was... Normal. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">After dinner they all sat in the living room drinking and chatting. She was on the couch between her Dad and Johnny. She sat back into the cushions, feeling genuinely relaxed for the first time in ten days. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“So how did you two meet?” Asked Carmen of Her Mom and Dad. Sam had heard the story a million times and it still put a smile on her face. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Well…” Her Mom began with a grin …I was living in Arizona at the time but I was getting over a break-up and decided to take a road trip on my own to Vegas…” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Ugh!” Said Anthony. “This story again.” Before taking off to play games in his room.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Ohhh!” Johnny laughed, saluting her with his beer bottle “Solo Vegas Weekend!” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I know right? What was I thinking? Anyway… I used to drive this terrible old Pinto. I decided to detour to the Grand Canyon… Off road… Well, sure enough the POS car breaks down in the middle of effing nowhere in Utah….” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Sam drifted off to the cadence of her mother’s voice and the clinking of ice in glasses. She felt safe. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">xxxxxxxxxxx</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“And low and behold he has an actual truck full of tiny trees! I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life. OK, I’m thinking… “Massive weirdo but hey, lets see where this goes”…” Amanda finished. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Boy did I luck out that she enjoys eccentrics.” Daniel laughed. “An elderly Japanese man and a truck full of Bonsai trees How could she resist?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Pleasantly buzzed now, Johnny noticed the pressure on his arm and looked down to see Sam’s head resting there, fast asleep. He was instantaneously transported to a happier time, when Robby’s tiny head would loll against him while he watched TV. A lump formed in his throat. He looked over her at Daniel who’d also just noticed. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"><em>“Thank God.</em>” Daniel mouthed. <em>“Finally.”</em> There was so much sadness in his face. <em>“It’s been days since she slept properly.”</em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Johnny looked across the coffee table at the three women. Miguel had also dropped off on his grandmothers shoulder. They smiled at each other. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Isn’t it weird?” Said Amanda quietly. “How quickly they grow up physically? But inside they’re still… Kids.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Its terrifying!” Carmen whispered. “The world sees a young man but… He’s just my baby you know? But the world doesn’t know that.” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Mmm… And the world today is tough place.” Murmured Rosa. Kissing the top of Miguel’s head. </span>
</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sunday at the Dojo started ok. She had slept better the night before and was feeling more human than she had in a while. She’d been greeted enthusiastically by everyone. Demetri greeted her with “You’re not contagious still are you?” Then gave her a huge hug, and she had to consciously make the effort not to flinch. She got more hugs and a series of hi fives. She felt good.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was a lovely day and she sat on the grass by the Koi pond and watched everyone train. She liked watching the interplay between the two Senseis. The arguments, the misunderstandings. They were so, so different from each other but… They were so meant to be friends. Its was hard to explain. They worked together like a wheel, Her Dad was one half and Johnny the other. The moment one stopped cooperating the other ground to a halt. So they had to get along whether they liked it or not. Maybe that’s why life kept throwing them back together.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Every now and then her Dad would glance up at her, just checking she was ok. She waved at him. I’m fine Dad. Please, please stop worrying about me.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And they both loved Robby. She didn’t think that was an understatement. Her Dad really cared about him. Too bad he hated both of them now…She was still so glad he hadn’t been there that night. She hoped, really hoped he didn’t know about it. She wondered if her five attackers were ashamed of themselves or boasting about it to their buddies. She shivered in the heat of the sun.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She thought she was fine today. But then the sparring started… Stevie and Mitch facing off for the first round. Boy… They had both really improved.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She really hadn’t been expecting it. But it hit her like an anvil falling from the sky. The movement their arms and legs as they attacked and retreated. An errant foot hit Stevie in the leg and he went down.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s1">And she was Down. Struggling to breathe as a kick to the stomach knocked the breath out of her.</span> </em>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sat straight, utterly still in the grass, glassy eyed. Her heart pounding a mile a minute…Unable to inhale.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>I can’t Breathe! I can’t Breathe! I can’t Breathe! </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>I’m going to die. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She couldn’t look away from the sparring. Even after it stopped and people turned to look at her.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She felt hands on her, gentle, strong, safe.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Daddy!” she whimpered. Finally choking in a breath.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m here Pumpkin…Lie down now.” He lowered her to lie flat. “Thats it… Looks like you’re about to pass out there.” She could hear the fear in his voice.<br/>
Johnny was crouched beside them and a ring of curious students had gathered.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Move back everyone…” Johnny said, trying to calm the crowd. “ Nothing to worry about… Haven’t any of you had Mono? She’ll be passing out for weeks…. Get back to your sparring!” He clapped his hands.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now that she was back to herself she felt embarrassed. <em>Pathetic…What a Pussy!</em> She imagined Johnny’s voice in her head.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m ok Dad.” She said weakly. Trying to push herself up off the grass. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Come on.” He lifted her to her feet and helped her into the Dojo. In the muted golden light of the place, she half lay on the bedas he put a glass of water to her lips. “Small sips, Thats it…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Miguel and Johnny watched from the doorway. “You need any help?” Asked Johnny. “Its allright Guys… I got this.” He waved them away.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Miguel hovvered by the door. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“'l'll be fine Miguel.” She smiled at him. He nodded and moved away reluctantly. She listened as the sound of sparring resumed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m OK Dad. Really… It was just the Sun…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No it wasn’t.” He said gently. ‘It was the sparring.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She didn’t reply.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know you took one hell of a beating…I get that you don’t want to talk about the details but I really need to know what I’m dealing with here… Please tell me what really happened that night Sam?” His voice was soft, his eyes were sad, he wasn’t angry. But an inexplicable fear gripped her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>He suspects something.</em> She closed her eyes, feeling suddenly sick, and shook her head.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Its ok Sammy… I’m right here… I won’t be mad at you… I won’t judge you… Whatever it is… You need to tell me. OK?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Half truth</em> her brain whispered.<em> Just half of it. Cough up a bit of diseased lung for him. He doesn’t need to know the rest. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You have to promise not to freak out…” She whispered. He looked frightened for just a second. Then the calm facade came up again.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I promise I won’t freak out.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>He’s going to freak out.</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It was my own fault.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Your fault? How could that be possible?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Um… I got a note in my locker… Asking to meet up for a challenge. She said it would be just her and me. I thought we could put an end to it.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daniel frowned in confusion. Her heart felt like it was going to explode.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You thought it would be just the two of you… And you could settle it once and for all?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She watched him blink several times, realisation dawning on his face as the implications of what she’d said became clear. She cowered as his expression darkened, waiting for the yelling to start.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He kissed her on the forehead instead. She burst into tears.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh God… It’s OK Sammy…It’s Ok” He said as he pulled her in close. “I’m <em>so</em> sorry you felt you couldn’t tell me that.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I went looking for trouble.” She said horsely “I shouldn’t have gone…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sure… But not five times the trouble you thought you were going to get. This was in no way your fault pumpkin. Not one bit.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re not Mad?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh Sammy! I’m mad at <em>them</em> for what they did… Not at you… If you only knew half the stuff I got up to at your age… Accepting a challenge doesn’t even…Its not even close.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Grandma Lucille says women need to take responsibility for their own safety.” She said, staring at her hands awkwardly. “Its one of the reasons I do karate in the first place.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sighed in irritation.“ Grandma Lucille is very old, and very Catholic.” He said “She never had a discussion with me about 'talking responsibility for my safety'… And I nearly got killed on the regular.Why do you suppose that was?” He half smiled at her. “Big mystery huh?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She leaned forward and hugged him. “I love you.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I love you too Pumpkin… Don’t blame yourself anymore ok?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She spent the rest of the class inside. She couldn’t face seeing anyone after embarrassing herself like that. She felt lighter… Relief that her Dad, at least, didn’t blame her for what had happened… But the lead weight in her lower stomach was still there. And always would be. Because the <em>rest of it</em>…That was something she was talking to her grave.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Later that day she was trying to catch up on her homework in her room. She heard a soft knock on her door. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“May I come in?” Asked Amanda.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sure Mom.” She turned her chair so she could talk to her. “Whats up?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Amanda sat down on the bed, a sure sign a Serious Talk was about to happen.<em> Oh boy! </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Dad told you huh?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Amanda smiled awkwardly. “Um… Yeah… Listen honey I wan’t to say something. Just so we’re crystal clear.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Your Grandmother is full of shit.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sam laughed in surprise. Her Mom was really obvious when she was angry, and right now, despite her gentle tone, she was practically tearing the comforter with her fingernails as she spoke.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Seriously. She should never have said any of that to you and if either I or your Father had known she was filling your head with that misogynous crap we wouldn’t have allowed it. Because, Sam… <em>Neither</em> of us think that way. OK? And I’d hate to think you feel that way about yourself, or anyone else for that matter…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK.” Sam felt suddenly ashamed, unable to look her Mother in the eye. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m sorry I didn’t make it clear honey… You must never be scared to confide in us.” She stood up and hugged Sam around the shoulders. “I love you Cuddlebug.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When she was alone again Sam  wondered if she felt less or more guilt. For what she told or what she didn’t tell… She should be able to tell them what really happened, shouldn’t she? They both made it clear that they wouldn’t blame her for it. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>“Hey Mom and Dad. Another girl my age and size made a fool of me, humiliated me in every way then pinned me down and shoved half her hand up my….”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shuddered. She wondered why anyone ever did that voluntarily. She wondered how long it would be before Miguel wanted to try that. They hadn’t done more than a chaste kiss or two since it happened and not much more than that before.She wondered if her mind and body could ever go there again…If he’d look at her differently if he knew, or if he’d think she was as disgusting as she felt.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She felt a cramping in her lower stomach and put her hand there. She hadn’t tried to touch herself since. She probably never would again. <em>Thats ok. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her phone buzzed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A Facebook message from Johnny Lawrence:</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>HOW ARE YOU NOW?</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She thought about it for a moment before replying:</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">…<em>I’m ok… It was just sunstroke. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a long pause before he replied.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>…YOU BACK AT SCHOOL TOMORROW?</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>…Yup. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>… ANYONE GIVES YOU A HARD TIME CALL ME.</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Tears started in her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>Thanks Sensei… For everything. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So the next day started more or less fine.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She’d slept at least a couple of hours the night before, she had everything ready for her schoolbag. She managed to get up on time, get showered and dressed on time, she glanced in the mirror at her pale face, ok well she was supposed to be recovering from an illness, so it was normal that she looked like the corpse bride. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her Mom dropped her at the school gate and gave her a hug.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good luck today Honey, you need me you just call OK? I’ll come straight from work.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ok. Thanks Mom.” She took deep breath and got out of the car.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After being alone for most of the last couple of weeks, the sea of people making their way inside was suddenly overwhelming. She spotted Miguel waiting for her by the doors and waved at him. His face lit up and he ran over to her. Giving her a peck on the cheek. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ready?” He asked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ready.” She tried to look confident, it was easier with an ally by her side as she walked in.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Miguel stayed with her as much as he possibly could. Every time they had a class together they left together. He followed close to her wherever she went. She tried not to let it bother her. She knew how much the assault and subsequent events had scared him. She could see it all over his face and body language as he staked beside her, alert to everyone who so much as looked at her.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Which, as irritating as she found it, was fine, under the circumstances.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They made their way into the cafeteria for lunch and scanned the room for somewhere to sit.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sam! Miguel Here!” Hawk waved from where he say with Demetri and Yasmine. Sam almost burst into laughter at the thought of how drastically the seating arrangements had changed since last year.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As she put down her tray and slid into her chair she spotted Kyler in the food line across the room. He was staring at her like he’d seen a ghost. She averted her eyes immediately back to her friends and smiled at everyone.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But Miguel had noticed something was off.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are you ok?’ He whispered in her ear. She nodded briefly and started a conversation with the guys.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So… The Championship… What are everyone’s thoughts?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She knew the three boys would all have very loud opinions on the subject. and she was right, even Miguel was distracted and before long they were obsessively planning strategies. Leaving Yasmine hilariously confused. She excused herself to go to the bathroom and they didn’t even notice.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As she walked out into the hallway she felt suddenly naked, unsupported and afraid. <em>Get over it Snowflake! </em>Her inner Johnny Lawrence yelled. She waited, leaning against a row of lockers until Kyler emerged. He stood across from her, leaving plenty of space between them. If she’d been less terrified herself she probably would have noticed his hands shaking.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sam…” He began, taking a step forward.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She slammed into the locker behind her, instinctively taking a defensive stance. “Don’t even think about it!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He immediately stepped back and put up his hands spreading his fingers to show he wasn’t a threat. “I won’t hurt you!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Too late fucker!” She shot back.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He swallowed thickly. “Sam…Please let me just say one thing…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fuck you!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Please!” He looked desperate, even she could see he was being sincere.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fine. You have five seconds to justify what you did.” She spat the words at him.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I can’t justify it. I’m just so, <em>so </em>sorry!” Was he… <em>Crying? “</em>Sam… You’ve gotta believe me… I didn’t know what was going to happen!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She felt dizzy with conflicting emotions, The chief ones being rage and fear. “<em>Sure</em>” she said derisively “You thought it would be a birthday party huh?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I… She said she wanted to teach you a lesson… I thought we’d kick your ass but... I didn’t think She’d do <em>that!”</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She stepped towards him.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’d better know how to keep you fucking mouth shut you piece of shit!” She said in the coldest, most threatening whisper she could manage. Every time she stepped forward he stepped back, until he was flat against the wall. “If you tell…<em>Anyone</em> about that… I’ll rip of your goddam…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She didn’t have time to finish her threat. Out of left field Miguel ran down the hall, sliding to halt between them. Followed by Hawk and Demetri.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He punched Kyler across the jaw, sending his head back into the wall. Kyler defended himself but he was no match for Miguel’s fury. He wasn’t playing by the rules either. He kicked Kyler in the groin, sending him to the floor with a yelp of pain, then nailed him hard in the ribs.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“HOW DOES IT FEEL? HUH?” He shouted. As Kyler struggled to get up. “HOW DOES IT FEEL TO GET KICKED WHEN YOUR’E DOWN?” He gave him another boot to the side as Sam jumped on Miguel’s back. Pinioning his arms. Hawk and Demetri helped her drag him off the unfortunate Kyler. Who was gasping for breath and huddled in a ball.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Miguel was breathing heavily, like he’d run a marathon. His eyes wide, shocked at his own anger. The two boys held him by the arms. Sam checked on Kyler, who was able to sit up, clutching his midsection. A bruise already blooming on his jaw.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s going on here!” A woman’s voice. One of the teachers was making a beeline for them.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sam turned her tearful face to Miguel. “You promised me! You <em>promised!</em>” She wept. “You…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Fuck this! Let them clean up their own mess!</em> Her Inner Johnny Lawrence advised. <em>Get out of Dodge Kid!</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She turned on her heel and ran. Not stopping until she reached the second floor girl’s bathroom. She shut herself in a cubicle and sobbed. He had sworn on his <em>Grandmother </em>that he wouldn’t fight. She cried for what felt like hours. Until she heard the door opening and the click of shoes on tile.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh my God! He must’ve seen it!” Tandy Francis’ voice, somehow shrill even in a whisper. “Do you think he saw it?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course he did! He’s her <em>boyfriend</em>… He's got to be out for blood now!” She didn’t recognise the other girl's voice.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I dunno what he sees in her.” Tandy said. “I heard she <em>liked</em> it.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She <em>definitely </em>didn’t…I thought you watched it?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well… Not all of it. I got freaked out when Tory started hitting her with the…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sam’s vision swam. <em>Saw it? No… No it couldn’t be… Who would’ve…</em>Her extremities went numb. She couldn’t breathe.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In her jacket pocket she felt her phone buzz.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At around 2.30 pm Daniel got a call at the office.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“LaRusso Auto Group. How may I…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Mr. LaRusso this is Mr Pringle from Valley Village Elementary. I’m afraid Anthony has left the building without permission. We can’t find him on school property.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Anthony?” Are you <em>sure</em>?” The novelty of Sam <em>not </em>being the one in trouble for once struck him. “How long ago?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“He didn’t show up at at the cafeteria for lunch, his friends went looking for him. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daniel was worried now. Something had to be damn serious to keep Anthony away from lunch.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’re coming.” He said.Getting his jacket hurriedly and calling Amanda while he drove to the school.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>“Anthony?” </em>She sounded incredulous. <em>“Skip Lunch?”</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yup. Hardly believed it myself.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Well this is new… I Hope he’s not hitting puberty early. One teenager is enough right now.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’ll be ok. I’ll find him.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“I’ll meet you at the school.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK. Bye.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As Daniel got closer he scanned the few blocks around the school, driving slowly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Now where would I be if I were a hungry ten year old boy with no money or game console? </em>He wondered. There wasn’t much around the school. No arcades or parks… <em>What the Hell Anthony? You’re supposed to be the reliable one!</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Turned out he didn’t need to look far. He spotted the little boy stomping up the side of St. Amos towards the corner of Baxter. It was fairly suburban, but it still wasn’t all that safe in terms of traffic. He idled near the curb and wound down the window. Anthony was huffing and puffing. He probably hadn’t walked that far before in his life.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Bit off more miles than you could chew huh Son?” He said as the boy leaned on the car door like a forty year old man about to keel over from a massive coronary.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just… Just need to catch my breath…” Anthony insisted, fanning himself with his hand.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Theres a can of Coke in the car.” He smiled as he heard the door slam immediately behind him.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey! You said there’d be Coke!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I lied.” He said with a grin. “You wanna tell me why you’re running away from school?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m not running away… I needed to see Sam… Urgently. I didn’t have money for an Uber.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s so urgent that you leave school in the middle of the day and pull your Mom and I out of work? You scared the Hell out of me Tony!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I … He paused, suddenly reluctant to talk …. "I needed to check on her… Something’s been… Going around.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What does that mean? A rumour?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Kinda…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Anthony you know that whatever it is I’m going to find out anyway so just tell me and I’ll only ground you. Instead of talking away your…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not here… Not while you’re driving.” Anthony said with such stubbornness that Daniel agreed to drive home first. They went into the kitchen and he got the little monster a glass of water which he downed in three gulps. Then he called Amanda, then the School. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ok… <em>Spill</em>… Or no Nintendo for a Month.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Anthony dug in his pocket. “Probably better I show you.” He took out his phone and fiddled for a moment.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Here…I’m going upstairs… I can’t watch it again.” he said with an uncharacteristic tremor in his voice.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was a TikTok Video. Titled <em>“Tory Nichols Is A Crazy Bitch!”</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daniel hit play, he had to squint to see properly.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a Dark room… With a concrete floor…</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This was a tough one to write. I hope it's not terrible.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Johnny was about to reply to a text regarding a plastering job. The Dojo was bringing in some money but it wasn’t keeping a roof over his head alone… At least not yet. So he was freelancing a bit on the side for a contractor finishing a couple of large houses on the hillside. He’d been about to accept when his phone buzzed in his hand. He answered instantly.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Sam?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">There was a longpause and heavy breathing He almost hung up, thinking it was some prank. But then he heard her voice.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Johnny?”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Sam! Are you ok? Where are you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"><em>“Uh…” </em>She said breathlessly.<em> “I’m about ten blocks from school.” I… Um… I can see a gas station and a Christian youth centre”</em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I know where you are”He said, grabbing his wallet and car keys. “Have you been running? What happened?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Yes… No… I’m… Can you …?” </em> </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She sounded confused. <em>Shit!</em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Stay put… I’m coming.” He rushed out and ran every red light between his place and the high school. Then straight over to the area he thought she’d described. Sure enough there she was, Sitting in the steps of the Christian Youth Outreach Centre. Hunched over her knees, pale, dripping sweat and shivering. In fact she looked not unlike one of the junkies in <em>need </em>of the Christian Youth Outreach Centre. He parked haphazardly and walked over to her. Sitting on the concrete steps beside her.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You look like hell… Are you hurt?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She was miles away and jumped slightly when he spoke to her. “Oh! N…No I’m not hurt I just…” She was staring into the middle distance. Like she could see something he couldn’t.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He was worried now. “Are you stoned? What happened? Did you run all the way here?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She looked at him properly now. She wasn’t stoned. her eyes were very red though. She looked like she'd been crying for an hour.He did mental triage on the kid and realised she was in shock for some reason.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I’m taking you home… Come on…” He stood and offered her a hand.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I can’t go home.” She said it like a well known fact rather than a plea. ‘I can’t seeanyone I know.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He shrugged. “My place then… You can tell me all about it.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She nodded silently and took his hand. She kept a death grip on it until they were in the car. He’d never seen her like this before. It was like someone had hollowed her out. <em>Shit… What did they do to you?</em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He knew he ought to call her parents and drive her home right away. But, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye… Something about the way she stared blankly out the window, her head resting on the glass… She looked so drained. So…<em>Empty.</em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Sam?” He asked again for good measure. “Are you hurt? Did anyone hit you in the head or anything?” <em>Physical abuse he could deal with. He was good at that. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She shook her head silently. <em>Well… shit! </em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She followed him meekly up to his apartment and sat on the couch stiffly, knees together, hands on her lap like she was posing for a portrait. Her whole body had a tremor running through it, her chin wobbling slightly like she was about to cry. He went to the kitchen and poured a large whiskey and handed her the glass. When she made no move to drink it, he held it to her lips.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Drink.” He told her. “I don’t have valium. This will have to do.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She gulped it down obediently, grimacing slightly. The first facial expression she’d made since he found her. “That’s it Kid.” He smiled at her. “You’re OK.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She whispered something. He leaned in closer “What was that?””</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t…Don’t tell anyone I’m here.” Her voice was barely a breath.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He nodded “OK Sam.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He got her a water and himself a beer from the fridge. Then he took all the blankets off his bed and wrapped them around her quaking body until she looked like a burrito. Lifting her feet onto end of the couch and propping her up on some cushions, he sat down in a chair beside her, turned on The TV and muted the basketball game that was on. He could see she wasn’t really watching it. But she wasn’t catatonic either, her eyes were focused on her feet, on the bedroom door, on the wall behind the TV. She was looking around, but thinking hard about something, totally preoccupied to the point that she couldn’t focus at all.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">But… after a while she started to come back to herself. She looked around the room in a more aware way, relaxed back into the cushons. When she opened her water bottle and took a drink he siged with relief. He wasn’t going to have to call the men in white coats after all. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He didn’t talk to her at all. Didn’t think she could handle it. He’d wait for her to say something if she needed to. After a while he got up and did some tidying up, got out some paper work that needed doing and generally make himself busy around the apartment while she lay quietly in front of the TV. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Some time later, as he sat at the table doing his taxes and looking over at her every now and then. He realised that she was watching him.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Hey Sam.” He said.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Hey Sensei.” She murmured. She looked and sounded exhausted.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“What’s going on up there?” He asked her. Tapping his head.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She was quiet again for quite a long time. He started working again and she piped up in a shaky whisper.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Sensei?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah? he asked, not looking up.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Do you think it’s still rape if a girl does it to another girl?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">His pen froze in his hand… He froze in his chair. Everything stopped for an instant and he had to take a couple of slow, deliberate breaths. <em>I was right… Oh God! </em>He had a sudden flash of her shaking and sobbing on his couch that night. <em>"I just can’t have a doctor poking and prodding me right now ok? Please?”</em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He cleared his throat. Choosing his words as carefully as he knew how.“I think…” He closed his eyes. <em>What do I actually think? He wondered. </em>He didn’t think he’d ever considered that particular question before in his entire life. He decided be straight with her. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Sam… I think if that’s what it<em> felt </em>like… Then that’s probably what it was.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She nodded slowly. “OK then.” She murmured.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">His heart broke for her. “I’m really sorry Kid. I wish she hadn’t hurt you like that.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Someone took a <em>video</em>.” She said it with a tangible sense of hurt and betrayal in her voice. “I don’t know what to do.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Johnny stared at her in total horror. “S…Someone<em> taped </em>it?” He couldn’t believe his ears. What was wrong with kids today? “How…How do you know?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“It’s on the internet.” She said. Digging in her pocket, she untangled herself from the blankets, walked over to his table and handed him her phone. He glanced at the screen. <em>Tory Nichols Is A Crazy Bitch!</em>He handed it back to her.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Aren’t you going watch it?” She asked bitterly. “Everyone else will have by now.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He frowned “Why would I watch it? You already told me what happened. I don’t want to see that.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She stood there for a moment, staring at him. Then the dam broke and she put her hands over her face and began to sob. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Oh God Johnny! Everyone at school…Everyone at home will <em>know!</em>” She wailed. “I <em>can’t…</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He got up and put his arms around her. “So sorry Sam.” He said, patting her back rhythmically. “We’ll figure this out. I promise.” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She wept a while longer and eventually he moved them both to the couch. Keeping the poor kid pulled close into his side. He didn’t know what to say to comfort her. Back in his day this kind of thing was kept secret, not sent to the internet and broadcast for everyone to see. He thought of himself at her age, how humiliated he’d been that Kreese had choked him out in front of his friends… And that was just regular violence. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I…I Th…Thought I could move on… If no one knew…I thought I w…Would be able to f…Forget it.” She whimpered, sniffing… Now everyone will…” She squeezed her eyes shut. “ No one w… Will …Look at me the s…Same way again.” She hiccoughed though her tears. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He got up, put on the coffee, and handed her a bounty towel. She blew her nose. Looking up at him with wide, desperate eyes. “What am I gonna do?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He swallowed over the lump in his throat. “I don’t know Sam… All I know is that it wasn’t your fault. Ok? And it’s not a refection on you. Anymore than if you’d been hit by a car or attacked by a dog.” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She looked unconvinced.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  "</span>I don’t think the kids at school will see it like that.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Who cares?” he shrugged. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I do! I care! They already think I’m a weirdo since the fight last year. They’ll hate me even more now…”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He took a deep breath, trying to maintain his patience. <em>Fucking teenagers.</em> “Ok… Let’s try something… Try to relax and close your eyes” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“What?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You heard me…” He said firmly “Close your eyes.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She co-operated, sitting back, hands folded. The coffee machine finished dripping and he got up to pour it. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“So think about this. Imagine the kid at school that you hate the most. Theres always one, some little prick and/or bitch that you can’t stand… Picture them… Like…At their very worst, on their worst possible day at school. They’ve just done the thing you hate them for doing… You there?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Yes.” She replied through gritted teeth. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He smiled. “Good! Ok now imagine your phone goes off and you take a look at it. And you find a video, exactly like this one. Of them being… Abused the way you were.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">She shuddered. He nodded to himself. It was working. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Ok now imagine… Instead of someone you <em>hate</em> in that video… it’s someone you <em>love</em>. A close friend, a family member.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Her lip trembled. <em>Ok that’s enough.</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Ok open your eyes.” She looked at him in silent astonishment. He handed her a coffee and sat beside her on the couch. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“So you still think the kids in school will hate you? ‘Cause I’m willing to bet it’s not something you’d wish on your worst enemy…And certainly not on a friend.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“So they’ll pity me instead? How is that better?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> He shrugged, sipping his coffee “It’s Human. You can’t control how people feel about it. You have to get your own head straight.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“My own head isn’t in the best place right now. I thought about…”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“About what?” He asked her sharply. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Nothing.” She murmured, staring into her cup.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Say it.” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I just… had some bad thoughts while I was running from the school. I just wanted to get away from the whole situation.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Jump in front of a bus? that kinda thing?”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> She glanced at him without affirming or denying what he’d said. “Miguel almost Murdered Kyler… Thats when I took off. I knew he’d seen it.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Shit!” Johnny pinched the bridge of his nose. <em>Thats was probably Miguels last strike with the school admin. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I was mad at him for it but… Now that I think about it I’d probably have done the same thing in his place.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">They sat in silence for a while. Staring at the game. She curled up under the blankets again, she was getting tired. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You hungry?” Johnny asked eventually. Sam nodded. He got his phone and ordered a Pizza. Then he noticed the message Icon. <em>Fuck. </em>One from LaRusso:</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> <em>Johnny Call Me ASAP. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> <em>A recent voicemail  from Miguel. He listened to it:</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> <em>“Sensei… Sam’s gone. We can’t find her anywhere, Something went down at school. What happened to her… It was worse than we thought. Now everyone from Miagi-do and Eagle Fang want to go and beat the shit out of Cobra Kai. It’s really intense. Some of them want to go down to the arcade to confront Tory.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> <em>FUUUUUCKING Teenagers! </em> </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He glanced at the girl, she looked like she was just about to drop off. He couldn’t exactly run off and leave her here alone right now. But if he didn’t he’d be leaving his students to form a lynch mob and get arrested or worse. He went into the bedroom and called Miguel. The Kid picked up on the first ring. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"><em>“Sensei?” </em>There was the sound of, talking, yelling and general commotion in the background. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Where are you?” He said quietly.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"><em>“I’m at the Arcade. It’s crazy down here…Tory split and everyone wants to chase her. The cops have just arrived.” </em>He sounded scared. Whatever was happening Johnny didn’t want him down there.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I’m at home. Sam’s here, she <em>needs</em> you. Get your ass over here. <em>Right. Now.</em>” He said in no uncertain terms. Then hung up on the boy before he could answer. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Better to have drama here than have him trampled by a mob. Shit… Where was Robby? Was he with Tory? </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Sam was asleep. <em>Good. </em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He heard a light knock on the door…<em> Definitely not the pizza delivery so soon…</em> He opened it as quietly as he could. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Dad?” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Robby!” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He stepped out onto the walkway, closing the door gently. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Robby looked devastated. Eyes and nose red from crying. Johnny instinctively reached out for him. Robby flung himself into the embrace like a weepy teenage cannonball. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"><em>“Dad!”</em> He held his boy and rocked him. Saying nothing. What could he say? <em>I’m sorry the girl you like is a psycho sexual deviant and not in a good way?</em></span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“What happened?” He asked, holding the boy’s face in his hands searching for any sign of injury. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“It was True… What you said.” Robby whispered horsely. “I didn’t want to believe it, but someone sent a video to my phone while I was at work… I… I was going to go and confront her but I couldn’t… I couldn’t do it.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“You did the right thing coming here.” Johnny told him. You need to come inside ok?” He put an arm around Robby and led him into the apartment. When he saw Sam sleeping on the couch he recoiled slightly in surprise but Johnny tightened his arm and put a finger to his lips. Leading him into the bedroom. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Stay here for a second…” He said. “I’ll get you something to drink.” He went to get the whiskey...</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">A short while later Miguel arrived. Johnny had left the door unlocked. Miguel crept over to Sam, crouching beside her sleeping face. His hand hoverred over her head. He stood and looked around the apartment, his eyes full of questions, He had a split lip, presumably from his fight with Kyler. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“Miguel.” Johnny was standing in the bedroom door. "In here."</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Of course the boys immediately took defensive poses and faced off in Indignant rage the moment they saw one another. Reminding him so much of himself and LaRusso as kids he almost laughed. Then he remembered that he’d never put LaRusso in a coma and paralysed him, and the urge left him.</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1"> “Jesus Christ, put your wangs away! Sit down. I don’t wanna hear a word out of either of you ‘till I’m done talking!  The boys sat on opposite sides of Johnny’s bed. Glaring at each other. </span>
</p><p class="p2"><span class="s1">“I get that there’s a lot of bad blood here.” He indicated the space between them. “I get it and I’m not asking you to forgive each other.” He sighed deeply.Trying to keep things fair. </span> <span class="s1">“But you both care about Sam... Right?"</span></p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">They nodded, grudgingly. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">"I need you two to do me a favour and be as grown up and level headed as you possibly can be right now… Because I have to go and do damage control on this whole situation or someones going to get hurt.” He swallowed thickly. “Or killed. And… I think you’ll both agree that the LaRussos shouldn’t have to deal with this alone.” </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“I can help Dad!” Robbie began “I’ll go w…”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He pointed at the door to the living room.“…She’s not ok. Not<em> at all</em>.”Miguel opened his mouth to speak and Johnny shushed him. “She’s going to need all the support she can to get through this thing because of that goddamn video! She’s scared to go home, doesn’t even want to see her own parents... She’s said a couple of... Fucked up things.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“This is horrible.” Robby murmured “like nightmare I can’t wake up from.”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“What... kind of things?” Miguel asked. His face tight with stress. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“She’s had a couple of really dark thoughts… It’s <em>not safe</em> to leave her alone. Understand?<span class="Apple-converted-space">...</span>Not because of you or anything you did.” He added when Miguel looked at him like he'd been stabbed through the chest. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">“And…” He turned to Robby “Theres a major face-off brewing between Cobra Kai and everyone else. So unless you want to deal with those divided loyalties right now... Oh! and the LAPD by the way! You will both stay here, look after your friend, and let us deal with it! Am I clear? You both need to dig deep and make nice and calm till I get back. It’s going to be tempting to take off and join the fight but that is not what’s best for anyone. If I come back here to find any fewer than three of you here, And Sam in any condition worse than I left her I will beat your asses!”</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">He wasn’t yelling but he certainly had the same effect. maybe they could tell how desperate he was. He grabbed his wallet and keys. “Theres pizza on the way… Theres a game on. Be really, really careful with her OK? No yelling, no fighting, no nothing… Oh and <em>don't </em>mention the video unless she brings it up first. OK?"</span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Both boys were staring at him with a nauseated look on their faces. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <em> <span class="s1">"OK?"</span> </em>
</p><p class="p2"><em> <span class="s1">"</span> </em> <span class="s1">Yes Sensei"</span></p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">Robby nodded his head. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">"Its gonna be ok..." He told them. Feeling far from sure. </span>
</p><p class="p2">
  <span class="s1">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</span>
</p><p class="p2">Contraryto Miguel’s colourful description. He arrived at the Arcade to find just one cop car outside.Taking statements from around twenty dissatisfied looking kids who were standing around in groups. He didn’t recognise any of them from the Dojo. He took out his phone and called LaRusso… No reply. He tried Amanda. Nothing. He sent Amanda a text.</p><p class="p2">SAM AT MINE. SAFE.</p><p class="p2">
  <em>Fuck. </em>
</p><p class="p2">He circled the parking lot and rolled down a window. Calling over a young man in an arcade staff T-shirt.</p><p class="p2">“Hey you in the shirt! What happened here?”</p><p class="p2">“Buncha highshcoolers showed up looking for a fight… They split when they heard the siren… Something about…Pythons?”</p><p class="p2">Johnny didn’t have to think hard about where they might have gone. It was training hours at Cobra Kai Dojo after school. Shit. All they needed was Kreese in the mix. <em>He</em> didn’t need to see Kreese… What with the recent attempted murder and all.... He unconsciously rubbed his throat... Still… His kids… <em>Students. </em>Were probably there right now, waging war on Kreese’s gang and <em>they</em> were going to look like the bad guys. Who knew what Kreese would do with that situation?  He took off, hoping he could get there in time.</p><p class="p2">When he pulled up outside at the strip mall he understood why no one was answering their phones. Outside the dojo stood Daniel, arms outstretched and his best “Lets be reasonable” face on. He looked like he’d been run over with a steamroller. Ruffled clothing, hair all over the place. One one side of him stood Kreese, arms crossed, smirk on his stupid, idiot face, and all the Cobra Kai students, on the other side around ten of their kids, lead by Hawk and Demetri.</p><p class="p2">Everyone was yelling.</p><p class="p2">He got out of the car and pushed through the crowd of kids, standing beside Daniel. Who looked at him with such relief he thought he was about to get kissed.</p><p class="p2">“DOWN WITH THE COBRAS!” Screamed one of the Miyagi-do kids. “We look after our own!”</p><p class="p2">“Anyone want to enlighten me?” Kreese said to Johnny with a frown. “Everyone here was minding their own business… Then <em>this</em> starts.”</p><p class="p2">“Don’t play innocent.” Johnny snarled at him. “I know you’re only playing nice because the championship’s coming up.”</p><p class="p2">“I’m serious Johnny.” Kreese said with a frown. “I’ll happily teach these brats a lesson but I’d like to know what we’re being accused of.”</p><p class="p2">Johnny walked a few steps away, stopping near the wall.Kreese followed, a little too close, making him shudder. Johnny turned and leaned in aggressively. Looking the older man right in the eyes.</p><p class="p2">“Your fucking protogé <em>raped</em> his daughter.” He spat. He almost smiled at the shock on Kreese’s usually immovable face.“Someone filmed it and sent it to the internet… Everyones seen it... Live that down, fucker.”</p><p class="p2">For the second time in his life, Johnny saw Kreese genuinely freaked out. <em>Good! </em>“I guess your teaching methods might have a few flaws eh John? Maybe you encouraged the wrong people to <em>get off</em> on violence.”</p><p class="p2">Behind them, Daniel’s voice was trembling, he was sounding more distressed by the second.</p><p class="p2">“Just go home! This is none of your business… Its <em>not</em> your fight do you understand me!” Daniel was saying to Demetri. Who jutted out his chin in defiance.</p><p class="p2">“She’s our friend! We can’t let it slide Sensei! We <em>can’t!”</em> The boy was shaking with rage.</p><p class="p2"><em>Shit</em>. they were outnumbered. No way was Daniel going to stop this clusterfuck either. The kids on both sides looked murderous. Daniel closed his eyes for a second then stepped up to Demetri.</p><p class="p2">“She’s your <em>friend</em>… She’s my DAUGHTER!” He yelled. Making all the kids flinch. “Do you think I don’t want to KILL SOMEONE right now? Revenge won’t make this any easier for Sam!” He put his hand over his mouth. Johnny could see he was at the end of his rope.</p><p class="p2">“We didn’t do anything! What’s your problem?” Interjected one of the Cobra Kai kids. “You want Tory! She ‘aint here!”</p><p class="p2">“Yeah the little lezbo is probably making more porn with LaRusso’s slut daughter!” Yelled another. <em>Oh God. </em></p><p class="p2">Daniel put his hands over his face.</p><p class="p2">With rage filled screams the kids crashed into each other like two waves.</p><p class="p2"> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Warning! Teen Angst! Warning! Teen Angst! Warning! Teen Angst! Warning! Teen Angst! Warning! Teen Angst! Warning! Teen Angst!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A couple of accidental elbows to the face later and Johnny managed to get out of the scrum. Dragging Daniel along with him. There were angry kids all over the parking lot kicking each other’s asses. He briefly considered trying to break things up but quickly came to the conclusion that They were better off getting it out of their systems. If he spotted anyone being double teamed or badly mismatched he stepped in and blocked the blows, Bloody noses and bruised eye sockets abounded but there were no serious injuries yet, that he could see.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daniel stood beside him, looking around at the chaos in horror. But Johnny was just pleased to see their kids holding their own against Cobra Kai, despite being outnumbered. He turned just in time to see little Bert get sideswiped and fall to the asphalt, He reached down and pulled him up before he could get trampled, and tackled him around the waist before he could run back in. The kid struggled and yelled at him. To no avail. Johnny smacked him over the ear.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Get the hell out of here!” he admonished. “You’ll get killed in there!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It got crazy then. Groups of Cobras taking on single kids. They were surrounded. Suddenly there was a high pitched squeal and crackling sound then:</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"YAMERU! HAIJO SOCHI!"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Kreese had produced a megaphone. And, like the Drill Sergeant he was, he barked orders through it.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“STAND DOWN!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The kids were distracted by the noise and actually desisted in their fighting for a moment. And, to Johnny’’s astonishment, they did. Or… The Cobras did.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Their kids were less co-operative. He was hit with a sudden irritation. He grabbed the nearest kid by the back of his T-shirt and pulled him backwards. It happened to Be Hawk. He whispered in his ear:</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’re looking like undisciplined losers. Gather the Dojo and get the hell out of here before I…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Before you what?” Asked Hawk boldly. Clearly hopped up on adrenaline.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fuck around and find out kid.” Johnny growled.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hawk nodded nervously, he began yelling and gesturing to the others. Kreese had started marching the Cobras inside. Johnny turned to Daniel. He looked both ready to murder everyone and to fall down on his ass. It struck him that He and LaRusso saw violence very differently. For Johnny it was justan unavoidable fact of life that was going to get you eventually. For Daniel it was one of life real tragedies… Something that changed you forever. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Johnny made sure the kids were meandering out of of the parking lot and going on their separate ways. “Tomorrow. 5pm sharp!” He yelled at them as they retreated.There was going to be some serious tongue lashing at Miyagi-Do.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daniel took a couple of steps towards Kreese. Stabbing his finger right into the man's face. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You might think you got away with it all those years ago Kreese!But I’m not a kid anymore… I havn't forgotten! Keep your<em> terrorists </em>away from my family or you’ll regret it!” His eyes looked almost feverish as she spat out the words.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>What the hell is he talking about? </em> johnny wondered. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Johnny stood by him. Waiting for Kreese to reply. But no reply came. The man just walked stared at Daniel for a long moment, then went inside like nothing had happened.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The moment the door closed Daniel’s composure crumbled. His whole body was shaking. Johnny put a hand on his shoulder. Daniel turned on his heel and threw a punch. Johnny barely blocked it in time. Daniel stared at him in shock. Then looked at his own fist, like it wasn’t attached to his arm.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey! Easy… Its just me! Come on.” He said, gesturing towards his car. “Let’s get out of here.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daniel collapsed into the passenger seat. Locking the door behind him. “Sorry Johnny…I don’t know what…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shhh! Just relax for a minute.” Johnny admonished him. “You’re very highly strung you know that?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“… I need to call Amanda.” Daniel said, sounding almost drunk. “She’s out looking for Sam…” He dialled his phone and waited. Johnny heard Amanda’s voice, he couldn’t hearwhat she was saying but it sounded panicked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daniel Blinked “Sorry Honey… <em>What?</em>…Ok…Where?…Johnny is with me… We’re coming…I…Yeah…Yeah… Ok… Bye.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned to Johnny “She found Tory.” He said. “She said Sam’s at your place?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah. She’s with the boys. They’re looking after her.“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What <em>both</em> of them? Are you sure that’s safe?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Safer than having them here. ” Johnny shrugged.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daniel had to admit he was right. “Yeah… You have a point there.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So where’s Amanda.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“She said…" He sighed, Squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose as though staving off a headache, " She’s on the overpass on highway 10.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wait the <em>what</em>…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thats what she said…. She said Tory was up on the overpass...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Johnny sighed. “<em>Shit!…</em> OK Then… The overpass it is… Did she call the cops?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Johnny pulled about and took off in the direction of the highway. Wondering what other delightful surprises the day had in store for him. They were just entering the edge of the suburbs when Daniel abruptly said:</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Johnny?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Pull over…Please.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Johnny found a spot and pulled in. Daniel opened the door, leaned out of the car and vomited. Johnny reached into the back and grabbed a bottle of water which had probably been there a bit too long, and waited for the retching to stop. When, at last, he sat back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Johnny handed him the bottle, watching his face carefully. Daniel put his hands together and took a few deep breaths. Johnny had seen him do this on several other occasions. He was pretty sure it was something he’d learned for Miyagi to help with his almost total lack of chill.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m guessingmediation and breathing exercises haven’t helped all that much today huh?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daniel exhaled slowly. “<em>Ohhh</em>… You have no idea.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I have <em>some</em> idea.” Johnny said. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is she ok?” Daniel’s voice cracked. For a moment he sounded like that fifteen year old boy he’d met on the beach all those decades ago. <em>No use sugar coating it,</em> he thought.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not really” He said. “She was in shock when I found her. She’s humiliated, scared of what people will think. Can’t get what happened out of her head, Can’t see a future without that video it.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daniel wiped his eyes on his sleeve. “Did you see it?” He asked.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wish I hadn’t.” He whispered. “You can’t protect your kids from everything … You know?   But I thought at the very least I could be a decent enough parent to protect them from… <em>That.” </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Johnny nodded. “ I was my biggest fear… For Robby this last year, while he was on the streets, in Juvie… Something could’ve happened and there’d have been nothing I could have done.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How can I even begin to make this right?” Daniel said, new tears springing to his eyes.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Johnny patted his arm. “How about…First we deal with this, right now, crisis then think about the next one. How’s that sound?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daniel shook his head. "I'm so angry Johnny. I don't know how I'm going to deal with Tory."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"let me deal with her." Johnny told him, trying to sound confident, as he pulled out and drove towards the highway. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After Johnny left his apartment the two boys stood staring at the door for a full five minutes, wondering how fuck they got into this situation.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"You can go." Miguel told Robby tersely. "I'll look after her."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I'm not going anywhere." Robby replied. "I have just of much a right to be here as you do."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Oh yeah?" Miguel smirked "Cause you've <em>really</em> been a star in the filial duty department this last while eh?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"What the hells that supposed to mean?" Robby hissed in reply. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Just that if someone tried to <em>murder </em>my dad I wouldn't immediately rush to join his Dojo thats all."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Hey<em> fuck</em> you!" His voice rose, despite his efforts to stay calm. "Thats a damn lie! Dad was his star pupil...Sensei Kreese wouldn't..."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"<em>Twice!</em>” Miguel snapped. "Ask him!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Something about the look on his face told Robby he was serious. "Wh..." He sat heavily on the bed. Frowning. "What do you mean?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Miguel didn't pull any punches. "You mean you didn't know?" He said bitterly "everyone else does... The first time was after the 84 All Valley. Kreese tried to strangle him in the Parking Lot... Sensei LaRusso was there, he saw everything.The second time was the last time you saw him at the Dojo. LaRusso got there just in time. And narrowly avoided being stabbed himself...Your Sensei is a maniac... But you <em>know</em> this, because<em> you</em> were there too." </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Robby blinked. Wanting badly to call Miguel a goddam liar and believe it. But he'd been...</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"I was knocked out." He said quietly. "I... I was unconcious and when I came to... It was over."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Figures." Miguel muttered. "Nice judgement call there Robby. Betting against your own father..." He got up, intending to leave the room, Johnny pulled him back by his T-shirt. Miguel spun around, ready to strike. The look in his eyes was almost feral. Johnny caught him off balance and slammed him into the mattress, flat on his back. Robby loomed over him. Ready to slam a fist into his face.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>No mercy!</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It took a moment for him to register that Miguel wasn't fighting back. Miguel's eyes were wide, his breathing fast. He was trembling. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>He's not just angry...He's terrified... </em>Robby realised ...<em>Yeah genius...Of the guy who almost fucking murdered him a few months ago! </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He released Miguel and staggered backwards. Both hands over his mouth.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>You worthless scumbag.</em> His inner voice berated. <em>You paralyzed someone...Now you're terrorising them again! No wonder the only people who want you are twisted...</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He couldn't stop the gasp that erupted from his throat. "I'm sorry!' he breathed. He rushed out of the bedroom and left the apartment door open as he ran out. He was halfway down the stairs when he heard Miguel’s voice behind him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Stop!"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked up at the walkway. Miguel was standing there, with a desperate look on his face "Please?" He said "Come back?" </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>"Why?"</em> Robby asked. "Why the hell would you want me here after what I did to you?"</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Miguel swallowed hard. "Ever since I've known him...What your Dad regretted most was not having you in his life. Don't let me be the thing that drives you away from him again... Not after everything he's done for me… Please? I'll stop being an asshole... Promise."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Robby had to admit this was the last thing he would have expected. He considered running for a moment. <em>Where to? You have nowhere to go and no one to go to. </em>The truth echoed in his head. <em>This is all you have. Don't fuck it up!</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nodded slowly and began to climb the stairs. From inside the apartment he could hear a small, confused voice, newly woken by their noise say: <em>"Johnny? Where are you?”</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked at Miguel. "Deal." He said. “Truce... For Sam."</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">"Deal." Miguel said hurriedly, looking back through the door. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">xxxxxxxxxxx</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sam looked around the room on waking to find herself alone, and the door open,</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Johnny? Where are you?” She called nervously. Jumping in surprise when Miguel came in. Her eyes widened at the sight of Robby following. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey.” Miguel said, eyeing his sneakers like a nervous puppy . </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey.” She said softly. “Um… Where’s Johnny?” She felt tension growing in her chest. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He had to step out. We’re gonna stay with you… If… If you want me here… that is…” He said awkwardly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She breathed deeply. “Of course I do… I’m still a little mad though… Are you expelled?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shook his head. “I think Kyler is talking the blame for the fight… The principal was… Well… He was pretty freaked out.” He murmured. She could tell he was making an effort to avoid mentioning the video.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t you guys just want go home?” She asked. “I don’t need babysitters.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Um… We kinda promised my dad we would.” Robby said awkwardly. “He was very clear about what he’d do to us if we left the apartment.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Plus…” Miguel added. “I don’t really wanna be home when mom and Yaya get back later… Not after the messages from school.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And you?” She asked Robby. Her voice a little stronger. “I thought you hated us now?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I never hated <em>you</em>.” He muttered. “Miguel and I…We’ve declared a truce… Just for today.” He said, crossing his arms across his chest. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh.” She frowned, cognisant of the fact that they were still looking daggers at each other, and also that she didn’t have the ability to deal with bullshit right now. . “Ok…Um… You didn’t tell anyone I was here did you?” Her breath felt tighter. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They shook their heads.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Good.” She murmured. “I don’t wanna see anyone… Anyone else.” The idea of discussing what happened still made her skin crawl. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">We get that.” Miguel told her, leaning on a chair. “Just us ok? What do you need?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She felt suddenly sick again at the memory and ran to the bathroom to throw up. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Her knees hit the tiles and she was suddenly back in that shower, watching her blood wash down the drain. Washing herself with shampoo, biting her hand to stop herself screaming in pain when she touched…</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She flinched violently at a hand on her shoulder. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Easy… It’s ok.” Miguel’s voice. His mother was a nurse, he wasn’t squeamish. He gently pulled her hair away from her face so she wouldn’t get sick on it. He rubbed her back. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Eventually she couldn’t throw up bile anymore and fell back against his chest. He put his arms around her and rocked her sightly. “S…Sorry” She whispered. “I…I dunno why…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She was still having trouble breathing, she had an awful pain in her solar plexus, like s small buzz saw was grinding up her guts.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shhh…” He soothed. “Its ok… I understand.” She didn’t think he did. She shook her head. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Its just a panic attack Sam…” He said softy. “I’ve had a couple myself before.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You have<em>?” </em>She was kind of surprised. Miguel seemed like he had it together most of the time…Well… <em>Images of Kyler on the ground, getting kicked flashed in her mind….</em>Until he didn’t.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re safe.” He said. Kissing the top of her head.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When they emerged, it was to the sight ofRobby making himself busy tidying up the kitchen, he looked in the fridge and sighed deeply. Lookingat her with big sad eyes. “ You ok Sam?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Honestly?” She said. “No.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Im so sorry.” He said. “I…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a knock on the door. <em>“Pizza Palace!” </em>Yelled a voice. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh thank God!” Robby rushed to the door “He only has beer and expired cheese in the fridge!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Robby tried to make dinner at the table with plates and all. Sam had to admit she was starving, but her stomach was tense and queasy. She picked at the pizza. But she shouldn’t wait to lie down again and just pretend to be asleep. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The boys were actually behaving like civilised human beings…Well… They weren’t exactly talking to each other but… Tolerable silence was good. Miguel watched her with concern. <em>Don’t you dare say a word about my not eating.</em> She thought </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You not hungry Sam?” Asked Robby. She barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Just feeling queasy thats all” She gave him a tight smile.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After a few minutes of tension, Miguel threw down his pizza, as if struck with a lightning bolt. He got up and rushed out of the apartment. Sam and Robby looked at each other in astonishment. Robby looked out the open door. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think he’s…He’s gone into his apaprtment…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A short while later he reappeared, breathing fast, looking around in a paranoid fashion before he shut the door. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Miguel?” Sam asked “What the fuck was that?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Um… I had an idea… And my Mom and Yaya are back in like… Ten minutes… I had to be quick.” He took a small ziplock bag out of his pocket and put it on the table. It was full of gummy bears. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Robby frowned “You… Thought we wanted desert?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“They’re my Yaya’s…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked into two sets of bewildered eyes.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“For her arthritis… They… Um… have THC in them.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Robby laughed out loud. “Your Grandmother eats weed gummies!?” He was obviously delighted. “For her ‘arthritis’“Ha! Thats amazing.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sam looked anxious. “Wont she kill you for talking her…” She swallowed, trying not to laugh “<em>Weed gummies?</em>”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I left her a few!” He said. “I’m not heartless… But I figure… Given the circumstances… We need them more right now… Besides.” He added with a shrug and a half smile “ I’m gonna get killed later anyway… Might as well be for something fun.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After eating the gummies the three of them lay around watching TV. Miguel sat at the end of the couch with Sam’s feet on his lap. Robby lounged in the armchair. Looking like he was ready to sleep. Sam had only tried pot once, and never eaten it… For the first time in weeks her body started to relax. She felt lightheaded, giggly, pleasantly sleepy. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sam?” Robby asked in a slow voice. “Do you want to go sleep in the bedroom? Might be more comfortable.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shook her head. “Don’t want to be alone.” She said honestly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“OK.” He said. Miguel patted her foot gently. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Miguel?” Robby asked </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hmm?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s your granny gonna do when she finds out?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mmm?” Miguel considered the question for a while. “Well… Given her track record… Depending on her mood… She’ll either laugh it off… Or hit me with the wooden spoon.” He giggled. Then Robby giggled.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sam fell into a doze to the sound of their soft, high laughter. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>“We interrupt to bring you a breaking News Story from highway 10 where local police are desperately trying to prevent a suicide.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She opened her eyes. Robby was sitting forward in his chair, wide awake and staring at the TV. “Oh Holy Fuck it’s Tory!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Johnny and Daniel arrived to find a road block. They got out and walked past to see another cop car on the shoulder and another blocking traffic up on the overpass. Half a dozen people, including reporters, were milling around, staring up at Tory, who sat on the edge of the concrete above. When Amanda saw them she ran over and into Daniel’s arms. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh thank God!” She whimpered. “I can’t believe this!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>“MISS… YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO TALK TO US! THERE’S ALWAYS ANOTHER WAY…” </em>The police loudspeaker bellowed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I tried to talk to her.” Amanda said…She wouldn’t… She threatened to…” She bit her lip. “Guys…I <em>hate</em> the kid…But I cant watch her jump! I can’t do that to her parents… We need to <em>do</em> something.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">An officer approached them. “Hi Folks… Betty Neville, public safety officer.” She extended a handshake. “I’ve been talking to Mrs LaRusso….Do you gentlemen also know this young woman?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Only by reputation” Daniel said though his teeth. Johnny nodded silently, staring at the kid. She had spotted him too and was looking right at him. He watched as she lifted her hand to wave. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well…she’s refusing to speak to our liaison officer or social worker. Trying to get Mrs LaRusso involved seemed to make the situation worse… Would either of you like to try? The most important thing is to engage her in conversation. We can brief you on what to say in these situations.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daniel hissed through his teeth as though he was in pain. He looked conflicted. “ I think I’d better not…” He looked at Johnny. Johnny nervously nodded at the cop. She radioed someone and talked about asking Tory. He watched as Tory gave a thumbs up to the officer. He was approached by an escort, as he followed them he heard Betty Neville ask the LaRussos:</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So What can you tell me about this girl?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>“The Teenage girl has been sitting the edge of the overpass for over an hour. She is refusing to engage with officers. It is unclear if drugs are involved.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Miguel giggled hysterically.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sam had never been more glad of recreational drugs. Without the damn gummy bears she’d have been a puddle on the floor. “Melting.” She whispered to herself. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What was that Sam?” Miguel had his arm around her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Gummies…” She told him. “Thank God.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oookaaay” He said. “Maybe no more gummies for you.” She had, perhaps, overdone it. She’d had twice what the guys had…She’d just wanted to disappear for a while. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sam was only peripherally aware of anything outside the screen. She stared at Tory’s face, pale, without her usual makeup. Her feet were bare… <em>Why? It’s cold!</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She felt tears running down her face. She reached for Miguel to find he wasn’t there. He was crouched in front of Robby’s chair. Robby was… <em>Weeping.</em> He had his face in his hands. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Oh God! The bears were going rouge! </em>She crawled over and put her hand on his knee. He looked down at her. Then at Miguel.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Please don’t hate me!” He said, big tears dripping off his chin. His pupils had swallowed his irises whole. She shook her head. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In a very un-Miguel move, Miguel took Robby’s hand in his. “Whats wrong?” He asked. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“These last two Months…Me and Tory…We were… Together…” He sobbed. “We lived together.” He looked at them, fear, and sorrow, and guilt written on his face.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sam wondered if she’d heard correctly. She pinched herself. Couldn’t help feeling betrayed even though she knew, in the tiny fraction of her mind that was sober, That it was none of her business, and not Robby’s fault. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I … I <em>swear</em> she never told me what she was planning! I had no idea she was capable of…” He put his head down again. Sobbing.…I… I really… I… l…Liked her Y’know? I Liked her family. Her mom and her baby brother… I helped her look after them…It felt like a …A <em>real</em> family…I thought… Maybe she was…You know… The <em>one</em>…Then I saw the video… <em>Oh God</em>! I’m so sorry Sam! I’m so…<em>So</em> sorry!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sam got up and sat on the wide arm of the chair. Putting her arms around him. He buried his head in her shoulder. Miguel got up and rubbed a circle on his back. “Its ok Robby. We don’t hate you… Do we Sam?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She shook her head. “No… We don’t.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Robby looked over his shoulder, his eyes swimming with tears. “After what…What I did to <em>you</em>? J…Jesus Miguel. You shouldn’t forgive that, N…Not ever.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Miguel didn’t reply, but he continued to rub Robby’s back. On the TV the commercials finished and the live newscast flicked back on. Tory looked out at the camera, her pale, tear streaked face illuminated by a floodlight. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is it wrong that I hate her... But I also feel sorry for her?” Sam whispered into his hair. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Miguel had turned back to the TV. "Guys?" he said cautiously. "Am I more stoned than I thought or is that... Who I think it is?" </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was watching a familiar man approach Tory high up on the overpass. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">High above the highway, the overpass had been barricaded by two cop cars. Johnny approached the edge. Which was protected by an industrial metal railing. Tory was on the other side of it, sitting on the edge of the concrete, her thin legs swinging in the air as she watched the activity below her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stood close beside her, on the opposite side of the barrier. Leaning on his elbows so he could get down level with her face. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So…” He said. “Suicide eh? Have to say… Never been a huge fan of falling to my death. Give me a good old fashioned overdose any day.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She laughed mirthlessly. “Pussy.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah. I guess so.” He laughed. “It took me a long time to realise I was a pussy, deep down. Y’know all the training in the world doesn’t actually erase that.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You were Sensei’s favourite you know.” She said, with bitterness. “You threw it away.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So did you.” He said. Hoping this gamble would pay off. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You done?” She replied. “Fuck off now and let me get this over with.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nope.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s your problem?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Its not the end for you… If it was you’d have jumped by now.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What would <em>you</em> know?” She said through clenched teeth. “You ever do something so fucked up there’s no coming back from it?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I did a few pretty fucked up things I grant you… Never sexually assaulted anyone though. Thats a whole other level.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Great pep talk!” She said, staring at the traffic below with renewed purpose. “You’re still doing better than Mrs LaRusso…She tried to blame the whole thing on Sensei Kreese!” She laughed, mocking Amanda’s voice “He’s a monster! He must have messed with your mind!” She smirked. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You weren’t always like this.” He said, shrugging. “Were you?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She turned her eyes toward him, sincere. “He saved me from who I used to be.” She said. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I get it…” He continued. “<em>They</em> say…” He pointed down at Daniel and Amanda… “Oh! He ruined you!’ But they don’t know… He has a good side…You say he saved you? Me too. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for him.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’d be dead and homeless and <em>raped</em> if it wasn’t for him.” She said. “He helped me survive.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I get that.” Johnny clenched his jaw. “Here’s the thing… He saved me…Yes. But… He <em>also</em> ruined me.” He said, knowing it was true. “Theres no getting away from <em>that</em> either.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I was ruined long before I met him.” She said with resignation. Her voice finally starting to crack. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>This is make or break time.</em> Johnny thought. <em>She could just as easily jump as not right now. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How old were you?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She smirked through her tears. “What? I tell you my sob story and we cry and hug and you carry me down is that it?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Point taken.” He said. “No need to puss out over this stuff. But seriously kid. You aren’t gonna jump. You can’t do it to your mom or brother… Or Robby… And you owe it to Sam.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“LaRusso?” Her eyes widened in surprise. “Are you fucking serious? You don’t think she’d love to see me splattered across the freeway after what I did to her?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Nope. She feels enough guilt over it without adding your death to it.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wh… Why would <em>she</em> feel guilty?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shrugged “ That seems to be how it works with theses things. Maybe if someone hates you enough to do that to you it makes you think you must’ve deserved it somehow… <em>You</em> know that though… Don’t you?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She blinked away new tears. He had to lean closer to hear her as she muttered into the wind. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“ I… I just went into this… Red haze…I…I don’t know why I did it! I… I was jut so… SO Angry! She has everything! The perfect life… She’s never had to suffer, her family love her… Would never hurt her! She has no idea what <em>real</em> life is like….” Her voice broke on a sob. “<em>Had</em> no idea… I guess she knows <em>now</em>…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In that moment she looked so young. Gone was the bravado, the makeup, the heels. She looked like the child she still was. Johnny’s rage at her actions still burned. But he couldn’t hate her.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Did you know about the video at the time?” He asked. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course not!” She hissed at him. “It was one of those fucking shithead boys!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You have to turn yourself in.” He told her. “Its the only way for you to make this right and get help.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What will happen to my family?” She cried. “I can’t go to Juvie…They can’t manage without me!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well… They’ll manage worse if you’re dead.” He said bluntly. “We’ll look after them. Me and Robbie.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Robbie must hate me now huh? Of course he does, even I hate me now.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He’s real upset.” Was all Johnny supplied. “I can’t speak for him… I know no one wants you dead though so will you just climb the fuck down and stop being so melodramatic please?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She looked at him doubtfully. “I can’t face everyone. I can’t!” She began to lean forward. He heard Amanda and Daniel and half the cops yelling below. He grabbed from behind, grasping her by the waist. He flipped her roughly over the metal partition, slamming her down into the asphalt. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Though he’d knocked the wind out of her, she fought, squirmed and struggled, digging her nails into his arms. But he was the more experienced fighter and he had 100 pounds on her. He got her in a choke and pressed the pressure point under her ear until she went limp. Then he carried her to the waiting police car. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">xxxxxxxxxxxx</span>
</p><p class="p2">Sam sat cross legged on the carpet, inches from the screen. To her right was Miguel and to her left was Robby.</p><p class="p2">She felt like she hadn’t breathed from the moment Johnny arrived at the scene to the moment he body slammed Tory onto the ground. She felt a small sense of satisfaction at the brutality of it. He choked her out and carried her limp body away.</p><p class="p2"><em>“There you have it folks!” </em>Gushed the reporter.<em> “One lone hero has stepped up and saved the poor girl from herself!”</em></p><p class="p2">“Great youtube soundbite.” Miguel said. “Johnny’s going to be internet famous by morning.”</p><p class="p2">“Just like me.” Sam murmured. Miguel’s head turned so quickly she thought he’d damage his neck.</p><p class="p2">“Oh Sam! I didn’t mean…”</p><p class="p2">“I Know.” She cut him off. “It’s fine.” She felt far away from herself. From them. It didn’t feel good anymore.</p><p class="p2">Someone turned off the TV. She stared at her own pale face in the black mirror of the screen.</p><p class="p2">“Sam?” Miguel took her hand, speaking slowly and gently. “You wanna talk about it? Like… While we’re all stoned out of our trees? It might be easier this way.”</p><p class="p2">She shook her head…Then nodded.</p><p class="p2">“You don’t have to. But… If you want to we’re here to listen…We won’t judge.”</p><p class="p2">“Too high to judge” Robby said, distantly. "Those bears man...Miguel's Nana must be like... Lemmy or something."</p><p class="p2">It helped that they were all facing the same direction, so she didn’t have to see anyone's face. She leaned her head against Miguel’s shoulder. “You’ve both seen it.” She said.</p><p class="p2">She felt Miguel nod.</p><p class="p2">“What did it make you feel?” She asked. Squeezing her eyes shut.</p><p class="p2">“Sad…” Said Robby “….And scared…And angry.”</p><p class="p2">“And sorry for you!” Miguel added, his voice breaking into a sob…”And guilty that I couldn’t help you!”</p><p class="p2">She put her arm around him. “Not your fault.” She told him as he cried. “Nothing you could have done.”</p><p class="p2">“I feel like I should have seen it coming somehow.” Robby said, sighing. “I was around her a lot.”</p><p class="p2">“She wouldn’t have told you anything.” Sam murmured. “She knew you still cared about me... In some kind of way… Maybe that why she was so…” She couldn’t say more without bursting into tears herself.</p><p class="p2">
  <em>Maybe that’s why she hates me so much.</em>
</p><p class="p2">Sam realised, with alarming clarity that she didn’t actually hate Tory. She was angry with her, resentful, she absolutely <em>didn’t</em> forgive her… But she wouldn’t have wished their places reversed. She’d never have done <em>that </em>to her… Or allowed anyone else to.</p><p class="p2">“To be honest…” She whispered. “I dunno who I’m madder at. Tory…Or whoever uploaded the video… I’m so fucking angry and scared of what people are going to say about it. About reading the comments… I…I still feel so… <em>Dirty.”</em></p><p class="p2">She felt both the boys tense beside her.</p><p class="p2">“I still hurt… <em>Inside</em> and I dunno if its cause she injured me real bad or if its just in my head… I think it might just be in my head…And I can’t…” She paused, screwing up her courage, now that the dam had broken she felt like she had nothing to lose. “…I even can’t <em>touch</em> myself…You know? 'Cause if I do everything tenses up and… It’s painful and… Like… Like I’m right back there again.”</p><p class="p2">Her breathing was fast and her chest felt tight again.</p><p class="p2">“It’s like my body doesn’t want it…And what if I can never be… <em>With</em> someone? It’s like she took that away from me! And I’m so <em>so</em> scared of what that means for…” She looked at Miguel’s pale, tearful face.</p><p class="p2">He put his arms out and she let him hug her. He kissed her on the temple and whispered in her ear. “Don’t be scared. I’m not going anywhere.”</p><p class="p2">She turned to Robby. “And Robby I’m sorry… That it didn’t work out between us… And I’m <em>so </em>sorry about Tory… I want you to be happy so badly… I want you to be ok.”</p><p class="p2">He took her hand silently. They sat like that for a while. She felt lighter in her heart somehow. Freed from the awful weight that had been baring down on her chest.</p><p class="p2">“Do you guys have anything to say to each other?” She asked. “Might as well be honest while we’re still baked.”</p><p class="p2">Robby looked over at Miguel. Their bloodshot eyes meeting over her head.</p><p class="p2">“Honestly dude...I don’t know how you can stand to be in the same room with me.” He said, swallowing hard. “What I did to you…It’s… It’s unforgivable Miguel… I don’t expect you to ever be over it.”</p><p class="p2">Miguel looked away. “I… I… Um…I know you got carried away and that you… You didn’t mean to kill me or anything… But… I think I’m still kinda afraid of you… deep down.” He admitted shamefully.</p><p class="p2">Sam felt Robby flinch slightly.</p><p class="p2">“But… I don’t want to carry that around either… I don’t think I can honestly <em>forgive</em> you just yet… But… I keep thinking of the Sensei’s…”</p><p class="p2">“Our Dads?” Robby asked, confused.</p><p class="p2">“Yeah… Like… These two guys who are worst enemies their whole lives… But Like.. In another life, where bad shit hadn’t happened to them… They’d <em>definitely</em> have been best friends… You guys see that right? I mean they’re different, but have complementary personalities, Like Laurel and Hardy! They actually <em>really</em> like each other. They’re only barely seeing it now… But it was probably always there… Like underneath it all they’ve been brothers on the inside.”</p><p class="p2">Robby nodded slowly at the revalation, amazement on his face. “Fuck me! Our dad's are soul mates!”</p><p class="p2">“And they wasted all that time hating each other.” Sam added.</p><p class="p2">Robby stood up, extending his arms.</p><p class="p2">“Can I hug you?” He asked Miguel “No homo.”</p><p class="p2">Miguel laughed. Struggling to his feet. “Ok I guess so.”</p><p class="p2">Sam smiled as they embraced, then played chicken over who would let go first, giggling like the stoned assholes they were..</p><p class="p2"><em>Oh boy! this is gonna be so weird in the morning.</em> She thought. But another, smaller voice in hear head whispered. <em>It’s going to be better. It's going to be ok.</em></p><p class="p2">
  <em>xxxxxxxxxxxxx</em>
</p><p class="p2">One of the Cops offered to Drive Amanda's car back to the dealership. So she could drive them home.</p><p class="p2">They sat in silence as the cat's eyes lit their way down the highway.</p><p class="p2">“Amanda could you pull into the shoulder for a moment please.” Johnny said. “I just have to… Get out for a second.”</p><p class="p2">“Sure.” she pulled over.</p><p class="p2">“Are you ok?” Daniel asked. Worried. </p><p class="p2">"Chill out LaRusso. I just need a breather." </p><p class="p2">He got out of the car, kicking up the desert as he walked into the scrub by the shoulder and stood there. Looking up at the stars. Breathing in the cold night air<em> deep</em>.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2">By the time they arrived back at Johnny’s It was late. They were exhausted. Johnny could see Carmen's car in it’s space. He wondered if Miguel had gone home yet.</p><p class="p2">The lights were off and the main room was empty. He turned on a lamp as they entered.But for an empty pizza box on the table, it actually looked better than he’d left it. <em>Where the hell did they take off to?</em></p><p class="p2">He opened the bedroom door carefully, letting the dim light illuminate it. He beckoned Daniel and Amanda over.</p><p class="p2">The three kids were sleeping, fully clothed, on Johnny’s bed. Arms and legs tangled together. One of the boys either side of Sam. Despite the.. Tangle... They looked so innocent in their sleep that he felt a lump in his throat. Daniel raised an eyebrow... But Amanda just smiled sadly. She quietly approached the bed and began to remove their shoes and put them on he floor. Daniel took one of the larger blankets from the couch and handed it to her. She placed it over the kids. They were so out of it they barely stirred.</p><p class="p2">Back in the living room Johnny poured the last of the whiskey into three glasses.</p><p class="p2">“The couch folds out.” He whispered. “I’ll sleep at Carmen’s”</p><p class="p2">They looked at him gratefully and the three of them sat down and downed the alcohol far too quickly. Johnny texted Carmen to tell her where her Son was and what had happened. Soon after that she knocked lightly on the door and joined them.</p><p class="p2">They sat there in silence for a while. Just processing the last few hours.</p><p class="p2">“Johnny?” Daniel whispered.</p><p class="p2">“Mmm?”</p><p class="p2">“We’ll never be able to repay you…For what you did for Sam.” His voice was choked with emotion. His expressive eyes brimming.</p><p class="p2">“You’d have done the same for Robby, or Miguel.” Johnny replied, with no doubt in his voice. “I’m not sure I did all that much. I don’t know how the hell she’s going to deal with this going forward.”</p><p class="p2">“With help.” Carmen said. Taking Amanda’s hand. Amanda’s eyes were tearing up too. “We’ll all look after her. ”</p><p class="p2">“I’m going to bed before our periods sync up.” Johnny murmured, getting up and offering his hand to Carmen… Drawing a quiet chuckle from Daniel.</p><p class="p2">“G’night Johnny.” He said, waving as they walked out.</p><p class="p2">“G’night you giant pussy.” Johnny replied, carefully closing the door behind him. “Sleep tight.”</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">
  
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</p><p class="p2"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Waddaya think guys? One more chapter?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1"> </p><p class="p2"><span class="s1"> <em>This is the last full chapter guys. It’s a series of </em> </span> <span class="s2"> <em>Vignettes from different perspectives. There might be a small epilogue coming later but for me this pretty much rounds off the fic. Its my first ever fic and I had a blast writing it. Thank you so much for your kind comments and support. I’m gonna try and fill more prompts now. </em> </span></p><p class="p3"> </p><p class="p4">
  
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>A week later. 6:45 AM</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">It was early Morning at the Dojo. The garden was empty save for Daniel and Sam, sparring.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">So far she was coping.But she could tell he was going easy on her. Moving at half the speed he normally would. Pulling every punch before it landed. She was blocking and blocking, yet to make an offensive move. It was pretty much rote beginner stuff.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><em>Block, turn, block , kick, block , turn.</em>She could do it in her sleep. <em>Block, turn… Wax on…Wax off…</em> Lost her concentration…. His fist grazed her stomach. He pulled it but it was too late.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>The shock hit her like lightning and she was back in the warehouse. The smell of mildew filling her nostrils….</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">When she came back to herself she was screaming with rage. Her father was wide eyed and blocking blow after blow as she hammered into him.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Easy Sam! Easy!” He said firmly. She stopped suddenly, taking a shaky step backwards. He dropped his arms. “It’s ok… Its just me.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">She took a shuddering breath “S…Sorry Dad!”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He shook his head with a sad half smile. “It’s ok Pumpkin, you’re doing good. “Stay with me ok? Stay focused.” She nodded. “You ok to go again?” He asked. She nodded again. But found herself unable to lift her arms. She stood there like a fool while he waited. After a few seconds he dropped his stance.“Ok.” He said, nodding towards the house. “Lets take a break.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He brewed tea. It was what he always did when things got tough. Any heartache, family drama or argument could be fixed with tea. They sat on the porch in the early sun, cross legged, leaning against the wall. He rubbed his finger along the grain of the wood.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I remember the first time I sanded this thing.” He said with a nostalgic smile.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I remember the first time you made me sand this thing.” She smirked.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He laughed. “You probably knew it was more than just a chore huh?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Well….Yeah you told me about Mr Miyagi’s training methods.” Her eyes grew misty at the memory of her ‘Sofu’.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I was so mad at Mr Miagi after the third or forth “chore” that he gave me. Oh man, my arms were sore that summer.” He said with a chuckle. “One night… I think I'd painted the house… I couldn’t move my shoulder. He did this thing… He rubbed his hands together and put them…” He indicated his shoulder and chest. “Bam! Like magic. It didn’t hurt anymore.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Sam frowned. A memory from her early childhood flashing before her eyes.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>She had been about three years old and riding a tricycle around the driveway at Sofu’s house while he washed the cars… She used to spend a lot of time doing that, zooming down the hill. She couldn’t remember if he was babysitting that day… Or if she was visiting with her parents…She’d skidded and landed hard on the gravel. She felt something break. The pain that radiated up her arm was terrifying. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>The memory was a blur of agony and breathing </em> <b> <em>in</em> </b> <em> and </em> <b> <em>in</em> </b> <em> and </em> <b> <em>in</em> </b> <em> and not being able to exhale because it hurt so much… Then strong, gentle arms around her, lifting her up, carrying her to this very porch. Sofu setting her on his lap. His voice commiserating with her pain. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>“Watashi no kawaisōna ai… Poor little Mago… Breathe…Breathe…” He said, looking her right in the eyes. She felt like her lungs would explode, yet still she breathed </em> <b> <em>in</em> </b> <em>…And </em> <b> <em>in</em> </b> <em> and </em> <b> <em>in</em> </b> <em>…</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>“Scream!” He said forcefully. She did, she screamed and was finally able to exhale. Then she screamed again and again. He held her close and kissed her head. “Good… Good… You scream at the pain, it run away.” He was right… It helped. She imagined a red, firey devil jumping out of her arm and running into the bushes. Afraid of the power of her wailing. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>She remembered looking up at his wrinkled face though her tears and watching him rub his hands together. Then place the both around her tiny arm… And the pain subsided some more. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>She vaguely remembered wearing a cast for a while after that… But not the pain. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Dad…How did he… <em>Do</em> that thing?” She asked. </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He frowned. “To this day I don’t know. Pressure points? Chi? The man was… Well… You knew him.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“He was kind of…Magic… I… I loved him a lot.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“And he loved you sweetie. You know that right?” His lip wobbled slightly.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">She nodded, the tears in her father’s eyes were making her want to cry too.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“If he was here he’d know what to do Sam. I… I wish to God I could ask him to help you the way he helped me.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“You’re doing fine Dad.” She said, shuffling close to him and putting her head on his shoulder. “It’s me… I’m just… Broken.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Talk to me… Please Sammy? I want to understand.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">She swallowed her nerves. But when she spoke her voice was barely a whisper.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I…I keep feeling like… Like I’m gonna die… Like I’m back there and they’re all beating the shit out of me and I’m gonna die… And I can’t get what she did to me out of my head… And not just my head… My body…”She blushed. The only time she’d said it out loud was to they boys when she was high…</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Go on Sammy…You can say it.” He whispered. Clearly terrified of what she’d say next.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I… I don’t want anyone to touch me… Like <em>that</em>… Ever… Like <em>ever</em> ever again …I want to throw up when I think about it and my body… Like… <em>Hurts</em>… When I think about it.” She looked away in shame. “And I… Dad… I… I think I love Miguel…I want to have a boyfriend… And a partner and a family one day and… Now… I can’t see that happening for me.” She sobbed at the realisation.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He sighed deeply, trying to even out his tearful breathing. He took her hand in his.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Sam… I’ve never told anyone this…But when I was around your age…There was a time when I thought I was permanently damaged too.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Dad?” She did a double take, staring at him, hardly believing he’d said what he’d said. Not <em>her</em> Dad, Who always had the right answers, who had it together. “Wh…What happened?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“The 85 tournament.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Y…You won the 85… You said you overcame your fear and won it!”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He shook his head. “I won the tournament but at a high price…” He blinked hurriedly as if to dislodge unwelcome images. ”I’ll tell you about it one day… But suffice to say that in the run up to the championship I fell in with some…” He flinched in anger at a memory. “...Manipulative, violent, dangerouspeople.” He swallowed hard. “I got into life threatening situations… Made a lot of mistakes… Hurt myself…Hurt other people… Hated myself… After the championship I was a total mess, physically and mentally. It took a long time to feel safe again… To trust people again… Actually for a while I was certifiably paranoid. Anyone except Miyagi would have had me in a psych ward… There is no way I could picture a future for myself with a friend my own age in it let alone a wife and family.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">She hugged his arm, shocked. Not knowing what to say. He blinked tears off his eyelashes, looking out at the yard in a detached way.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I think… Ithink it played a big part in my choice to stay with Mr Miyagi at the shop instead of going to college… I think he knew it too. He never pressured me to move on, always kept me close… I needed him around to feel protected…<em>God</em>… He was patient with me in those days.” He shook his head. “Do you know what he’d say to me when I had a panic attack, which happened <em>all</em> the damn time… Or acted out like you did just now?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“What?” She asked in wonder at her father’s sudden vulnerability.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Everything can heal… It just takes time.” He said, running his hand in a circle over the woodgrain of the porch. “He was right… It did… It took a <em>long </em>time… But I can honestly say that the wounds of that year have healed now… And Sam? It’ll happen to you too… Every day you put between yourself and what happened will heal you. One day you’ll look back and wonder how you ever got where you are… And I’ll be there every step of the way, in any way that you need me… I promise.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">She pressed her cheek into his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head they same way Miyagi once did.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“And you have something I never had.” He told her “Friends who love you… I can see it. They really do. Never discount that Pumpkin.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I know.” She sniffed.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“And whatever happens with you and Miguel, that friendship ‘aint going anywhere. I’d put my money on you guys still being close when you’re 90.” He said, pulling her in for a hug.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>11.30 AM</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">The gross institutional green walls of the Juvenile care home were nauseating. Johnny watched from the far wall of the visitation room as Robby and Tory talked at a white, plastic table a hundred feet away.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">His phone buzzed. Shannon.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>How is he today? </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He’d called her at rehab, shortly after Tory’s court hearing,to keep her in the loop about her son’s dealing’s these last few weeks. She was devastated, of course, but it was the push she needed to admit he needed to have full custody of Robby. She said she wouldn’t stand in his way if he wanted Robby to live with him. He hadn’t told Robby he had the weight of the law behind him yet but he sure as hell had a book to throw at Kreese if he ever tried to take his son from him again.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Thank God the girl had admitted to everything right away… And… In a way, thank God for the video. It was damming enough evidence that they didn’t need Sam’s testimony. Or the medical reports they didn’t have. It might be the thing that was keeping Sam LaRusso out of school and locked in her room most of the time but it also nailed her assailants… Well… Except that Kyler kid. He rolled over like a bitch on the rest of them in return for a slap on the wrist.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><em>WE’RE VISITING TORY. </em>He replied. <em>THEY’RE TALKING.</em></span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Does it look like it’s going well?</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>HONESTLY? NO.</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Robby was probably breaking the news to her that social services were getting involved with her family. It was a forgone conclusion, after it became clear that her mother wasn’t well enough to advocate for her. Johnny had to admit it was pretty heartbreaking to have to visit the woman at her apartment and explain at her bedside that not only had her daughter slash caregiver been taken to what was essentally a loony bin for kids, but that she had pending criminal charges against her for sexual assault of another minor.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><em>“Whose going to take care of us?” </em>She’d asked him. He had no real answer. He said he’d try and help out, the LaRusso’s had offered to chip in for a home helper. But that wasn’t enough for the courts. They needed to make sure the little boy was safe, especially after the sex abuse charges. Tory might avoid a permanent pace on the register due to her age, but she was still a risk. They boy and his mom would be interviewed and assessed by CPS. That wasn’t the outcome anyone wanted but the only realistic one. Robby had been so upset by that. </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Tory was visibly furious, she slammed her hands into the table and an orderly came over to give her a warning. Robby cringed. Johnny could see how much he hated being here.He felt a surge of guilt at the thought that his son had already spent time in an institution.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><em>What right do I have giving anyone else’s kids advice, when I couldn’t even keep my own flesh and blood safe?</em>He wondered. Hoping this would be the end of it for Robby and Tory, relationship wise. He thought of himself at the same age and how close he’d felt to Shannon. As though what they had in common,the damage and abuse, would be enough to glue them together. When in fact they couldn’t even hold themselves upright let alone each other.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He watched as his son pleaded with the girl to calm down. <em>Thats not how it works Robby…</em> <em>Sorry Son.</em></span>
</p><p class="p5"> </p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Driving back, Robby was quiet. A sort of devastated silence that Johnny knew only too well.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Sorry you had to do that kiddo.” He said, as he moved into fifth gear on a straight stretch of highway.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“What’s going to happen to her family?” Robby murmured.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I dunno.” Johnny replied honestly. “But we’ll keep an eye on things… Help them out where we can. Social services aren’t all bad Robby… They won’t leave them high and dry. I promise.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Robby nodded. “Dad I…” He bit his lip. “I can’t handle it…”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Cant handle what?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“The whole situation… With her… What she did… Why she did it… I… Want to help her but….I don’t know how… I mean… Is it even possible to fix her?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Johnny’s heart broke. He and Robby were so alike in so many ways. He gave him the advice he wished someone had given him at the same age.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“It’s not your responsibility to fix her Robby… Whatever drove her to be this way began long before she met you… And was<em> not </em>your fault.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Robby was silent beside him for a while after that. watching the road thoughtfully.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I wish…” He said softy. “I wish she could just be a kid again… Like… Before her Mom got sick. Just… Innocent.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Me too Son.” Johnny replied, biting his lip. “ But now at least she’s getting help…. “<em>You</em> can still be a normal teenager though, you know that right? You can go back to school. You can let me look after you, properly. </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I’d be a burden to you.” Robby replied without a beat. “Better I keep working and support myself.” There was a watery sound in his voice that stabbed Johnny right in the chest.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Johnny slowed down and pulled the car over. “Robby?” The boy stared out the passenger window. Johnny wanted to yell… To force him to look at him… He wanted to look in the kid’s eyes and tell him he was worth so much more than a shitty minimum wage job at the 7-11. How could he not see that? He wanted to shake some sense into him! </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Instead he spoke as softy and as gently as he could to back of his son’s head.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I love you Robby.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">The words felt strange in his mouth and he hated himself for that. A lump rose in his throat“When you were little… I was so scared to love you. I was so scared I’d hurt you if I tried to love you…” He squeezed his eyes shut against the onslaught of emotion he was feeling, trying to keep his voice even. “Robby if you hate yourself… That’s on me… That’s what I gave you… Thats all I had to give you…I didn’t know anything else…” He reached over and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I love you and I swear to God will be there for you. OK? And you don’t have to trust me after all the ways I’ve fucked up over the years. You can act out and rebel against me and hate me. Ok? But hate ME don’t hate yourself. You are the most amazing person I know. No thanks to me, no thanks to anyone but yourself… You deserve a good life Robby.” He couldn’t speak any more… His vision blurred. He felt Robby turn. Then he felt arms around his neck and a head on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Please let me take you home.”He whispered in the kid’s ear.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> He felt Robby nod against his shoulder.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>2.00 PM</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">It wouldn’t be correct to say Miguel was sulking in his room. In order to sulk he’d have to feel his grounding was unfair. He was lounging in his bed, trying to catch up on schoolwork, there not being much else to do.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He still had his phone privileges. That was something. At least he could stay in contact with Sam. She hadn’t gone back to school yet and he felt really lonely there without her. That worried him. </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He sighed deeply.A full week of grounding to go and just his phone for company. Well… Not just the phone. He still had Mom And Yaya, he supposed.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He rolled over on the bed, He put down <em>Their Eyes Were Watching God</em>. He knew he’d have to take notes on it and just couldn’t focus. </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">It had been the fight that riled Mom up. But then Kyler had pretty much taken the blame. Then Yaya had told Mom about the video and Miguel had admitted to seeing some of it at lunch just before the fight… She understood, she said.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">No… It was Rosa’s Hash Gummies that had resulted in the grounding. They were a medication, not for fun… <em>Got it</em>.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">There was a knock on his door. Rosa poked her head inside. “Miggy? Podemos hablar?” She asked cautiously.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Sure Yaya,” He said, making room for her to sit beside him.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Ah Mi Nieto!” She said, comparing the length of their outstretched legs “You stop growing right now! !“She laughed lightly tapping the top of his head.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“ ¿Está todo bien, Yaya?” He asked. </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Si… Is fine… You OK?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He shrugged “I guess… Are… Are you still mad at me?” he asked cautiously. His mom being mad at him he could handle. But Rosa? She reduced him to mush every time. He hated disappointing her.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">She took his hand and kissed it. “I want say I not Mad anymore. Ok Bebé? I worry but I not Mad.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Don’t worry about me Yaya.” He smiled at her. “I’m ok.” </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“You no drugs?” She asked.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I no drugs.” He crossed his heart. “First time, nunca antes.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Why you do?” She asked. “Tenias curiosidad?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Oh… He shook his head No… I wasn’t curious really… Sam was having panic attacks… Ataque de pánico… Y la <em>tension</em>...Entre yo y Robby.” He rolled his eyes. “I thought had to do something… You understand?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“It help?” She asked.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He thought about it. Nodded slowly. “It… Helped us talk… Honestamente… No fighting… I’m a little… Embarrassed… Avergonzado por lo qui dije…” He blushed at the memory of spilling his guts to Robby… The tears… Not that he’d been the only one in tears that night.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">She patted his hand. “ No deberías drogas para hablar abiertamente con tus amigos… De ahora en adelante se valiente y solo dilo.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He nodded, cuddling up to her. “Sí Yaya.” She was right. He shouldn’t have to do drugs just to speak honesty with people… It <em>had</em> helped though. He didn’t think they’d have gotten there otherwise. He thought about what his grandmother had just said to him.<em> “From now on just be brave and say it.”</em></span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Yaya?” He whispered. “Um…Sam…” He wasn’t sure how to say it, in either language. “She was hurt… Duele mucho… I want to help her… I don’t know how.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Yo sé eso.” The old woman nodded sadly. “I know it.” She tapped her own chest. “In myself.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><em>Something about the way she said it… </em>It took a moment for him to understand the gesture.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Oh… Yaya!</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He felt a swell of sadness and he fought tears as he asked her: “When… In… In Ecuador?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“No llores no estés triste.” She said, kissing him on the cheek. “Long time ago bebé. Durante la guerra con el Perú ... Hubo mucha voilencia.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><em>During the war with Peru. </em>Miguel didn’t know much about Ecuadorian history, but he knew that in any war… Well.. There was usually a lot of violence against women as well as men. He found himself crying now, at the thought. He put his arms around her small frame and buried his face in her shoulder.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Lo siento Yaya!”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Miguel look me.” She said softly after a minute. He pulled back. She was smiling at him sadly. “Sweet boy… Am I crying?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“No.” He acknowledged, wiping his own eyes. She was not.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“You care… You want to fix Sam?” She said gently taking his face in her hands. “I tell you, you cannot.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“What do you mean?” He asked “I have to…”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Nono.” She said patiently. “ Only time will heal … Love will heal. You give her…”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Time and love?”He repeated.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Whatever you say to her….No pasa nada si viene de un lugar de amor.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Nothing is wrong if it comes from a place of love. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He nodded.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“You be good friend to her.” She nodded. “It helps.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">The words stayed with him long after she left the room. He felt at peace now, he knew that no matter what happened between them he could be guided by that at least.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He picked up his phone and was about to message Sam… Then he thought better of it and called her.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Hey.” He smiled when he heard her voice.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Hey… Just wanted to say hi… maybe talk a little if you want to?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“…Sure…You ok Miguel?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I’m good, actually… You?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><em>“Better now…”</em> He heard the smile in her voice.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>5:30 PM</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Robby was resting… After they got home Johnny made spaghetti. Robby just picked at it. Then they sat in front of TV for a couple of hours. Then Johnny sent him to bed saying he looked like a ghost.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Johnny had insisted that Robby took the bedroom and made it his own. Saying that if he was going to live there he needed to actually <em>live</em> there. <em>“Put up some girly posters, bring in a ghetto blaster I don’t care. It’s your room now.”</em> Johnny insisted he was just as happy with the couch. <em>“Besides” </em>he’d said, with a wink. <em>“I’m spending most night at Carmen’s these days.” </em></span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Robby wondered if the eventual plan was to move in with Carmen and her family at some stage. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that… Living with Miguel… He was pretty sure Miguel would have an opinion on it.He guessed it wasn’t his problem… For once not his responsibility to worry about the future.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">It didn’t feel all that bad. He still had major anxiety over… Well… <em>Everything</em> that was going on. But right now, more than anything, he wanted his dad to just deal with it. He wanted to rest. He hoped life wasn’t going to kick him in the nuts again and take his security away. He had a perpetual fear of the other shoe dropping. It always did eventually.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Dad had <em>promised. </em></span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>He promised before. You can’t rely on him… Or anyone else. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Fuck off brain. Stop thinking… Let me take a nap. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Eventually he got up. He could hear Johnny’s snoring from the couch. Sneaking out as quietly as he could, he went outside and rounded the building, then, looking around to make sure the super wasn’t there, he looked for a likely drainpipe to climb.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He’d looked in three or four windows, and, it being a weekday, miraculously hadn’t been spotted before he found Miguel’s room. The boy was reading in bed. He tapped the glass and tried to suppress a grin as he watched him jump out of his skin.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“What the fuck Robby!” He hissed, opening the window, which mercifully opened inwards. “Get inside before someone sees you!” He flailed his arm hysterically.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Chill…” Robby said, climbing in through the window. “No one saw. I couldn’t exactly go to your door could I? Your Granny would roast me.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“She’s coming around I think. I might even get time off for good behaviour.” Miguel smirked. “I think both of them are going nuts with me in the house all the time. More of a punishment for them really.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Robby sat in the chair at Miguel’s desk, Miguel sat back down on the bed “Nice room.” Robby said, appraising the simple space.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Miguel shrugged “It’s a room… How’s it go with Tory earlier?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Terrible.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Sorry…You… Wanna talk about it?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Not really… It too confusing.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Ok.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“My Dad wants me to move in with him.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Miguel shouldn’t have been surprised by that statement but he felt a bit of anxiety, a chill. It must’ve showed on his face.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Don’t worry. I won’t come between you two. I know you’re more like a son to him than I am at this point.” He said bitterly. A stab of jealousy making him mean.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“That’s not really true.” Miguel said. “I mean… He’s been really, really good to me… But… I mean, he doesn’t parent me the way my mom does… Plus there’s no way <em>anyone</em> pisses him offhim as much as you do.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Jeeez, thanks a bunch.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“No… I mean… No one hacks you off like the people you love most right? Family is a bitch… I could see it in his eyes when he spotted you at the first tournament we fought at, remember? I’d never seen that look on his face before. He wanted to rip the throat out of anyone who touched you… Including me.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Robby hadn’t thought about it in that way. He tried to think back to that day. He’d been so scared, and angry, and sad… He couldn’t remember anything else. </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I think you should do it.” Miguel said. “I think…” He was obviously choosing his words carefully “… I think you should give it a chance.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><em>Give him a chance you mean. </em>Thought Robby.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Hows Sam?” He asked. Miguel’s face fell slightly before he schooled it back into neutrality.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“She’s fine.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><em>Enough of this shit. </em>He couldn’t containhis mood any longer.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Seriously Miguel? After we spilled our guts the other night we’re back to this bullshit?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“What bullshit?” Miguel asked defensively. “What’s your problem?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“My…”Robby sighed then, as if he’d just realised how exhausted he felt. “I’m… I’m too tired for this.” He got up and made to climb out the window again.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Wait!” Miguel grabbed his arm. “Don’t go… I… I get it… ok. I do.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Sure you do.” Robby looked at him incredulously. </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“No more bullshit… Radical honesty time… I get it. Let’s do it…” Miguel took a shaky breath. “You asked about Sam… Well… I think she’s improving but what happens when she goes back to school, and will she ever be really happy again, and will she always be scared, and will things between us go bad cause she thinks I want to have sex? That scares the shit out of me. cause I mean… <em>Obviously </em>I wanna have sex one day… But not if its means… You know…”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Robby’s face fell. He nodded, looking at the floor. <em>This is a lot harder without the drugs. </em></span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I asked about Tory… You wanna tell me what has you so cut up?” Miguel pushed.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“It’s not just her…: Robby admitted “I’ve made so many mistakes… Hurt so many people… And there’s nothing I can do to fix <em>any</em> of it.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Miguel said nothing, just stared at him for the longest time.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“What?” Robby eventually asked.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I know exactly how you feel.” Miguel said. “I feel helpless. I’m constantly worried and I feel like…”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Like the whole world is gonna collapse at any moment?” Robby asked.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Miguel chuckled. “Well… Maybe not<em> that </em>worried but… Yeah. Kinda.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I want to run away… To let someone else deal with it.” Robby said. “Only thing is I can’t run away from myself. Much as I’d like to.” He rubbed his eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Miguel was looking at him with that strange expression.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“<em>What</em> Diaz?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Dude…You aren’t gonna… <em>Hurt</em> yourself or anything are you?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“What?” Johnny responded automatically “<em>No</em>…” He scoffed at the idea.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Miguel wasn’t convinced. “Cause if you’re feeling like you might… Then we’ve got bigger problems than just stress… You know what I mean?” Miguel’s voce was full of concern and Robby was strangely reminded in that moment of no one as much as Daniel LaRusso. Showing up at his door, offering him help. He shook the image out of his head.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I’m…” <em>What are you? </em>His inner voice asked. <em>“Oh I’m fine. Just can’t sleep or eat or stop thinking or stop feeling sick fear and rage in the pit of my stomach.” You really wanna feed him more bullshit after what you said?</em></span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I’m not OK.” He admitted. “I haven’t been for a long time.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Miguel’s eyes widened.“You should tell someone.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I’m telling you.” Robby growled.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Miguel nodded. “I guess you are… But… I mean like… A professional?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“A shrink?” Robby asked. “Seriously?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Hey after…” He swallowed thickly. “I spoke to a councillor earlier this year and it really helped.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“You did?” Robby’s heart was awash with guilt again at the thought of what he’d done to this guy.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Yeah… It does work Robby… I promise. I can see you’re struggling and I’m worried about you ok? Can I… Would you let me help you?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“How?” He genuinely couldn’t see a solution to this feeling. </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I can give you a number to call. Make you an appointment maybe? It doesn’t cost that much.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“You’d do that for me after what I did to you?” Robby looked incredulous.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I…I guess I would.” Miguel looked surprised at himself.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I don’t deserve it Miguel.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Yet here we are.” Miguel shrugged. He found the number and sent it to Robby's phone. "Her name is Sarah... She's really nice. You want me to call and make you an appointment tomorrow?"</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Robby nodded. Unable to say anything more at that moment.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>8:00 PM</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">When he finally made an appearance back at the apartment it was to find his father almost frantic as he paced the floor. He stared at Robby with wide eyes before going off on him.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“What the HELL? You ever heard of leaving a note!?” He shouted. “ I thought… <em>Shit </em>Robby I didn’t know where you were!”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Dad… I…” Robby put up his hands placatingly. <em>Please calm down.</em></span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Ground rules…” Johnny said to himself … Slightly calmer now. “Ground rules.” He went to a drawer in the kitchen and produced a pad and sharpie. He began scribbling ferociously.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Sorry Dad. I couldn’t sleep. I needed a walk.” Robby tried to explain. <em>Just… Let it go… I’m so tired.</em></span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Johnny handed him the sheet of hastily written bullet points. “These are the golden rules. Learn ‘em!” He snapped. Robby’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he read his fathers scrawl.</span>
</p><p class="p4"><span class="s3"> <b>RULE 1: I NEED TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE AT </b> </span> <span class="s4"> <b>ALL</b> </span> <span class="s3"> <b>TIMES. </b></span></p><p class="p4"><span class="s3"> <b>RULE 2:</b> </span> <span class="s4"> <b>ALWAYS</b> </span> <span class="s3"> <b> LEAVE A NOTE.</b> </span></p><p class="p4"><span class="s3"><b>RULE 3:</b> </span> <span class="s4"> <b>ALWAYS</b> </span> <span class="s3"> <b>ANSWER YOUR PHONE.</b></span></p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b>RULE 4: NO LEAVING WITHOUT TELLING ME WHERE.</b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><em>You think you can wander back into my life and tell me what to do? Fuck you!he thought. </em>He laughed. “Dad rule 1 and 4 are the same rule… And I’m not going to do this stuff.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“What did you say?” Johnny looked murderous. “Those are the rules kid you follow then or…”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Or <em>what?” </em>Robby finally snapped and all the stress and anger he was feeling poured out.“You kick me out? No biggie! I’ve lived on the streets before. At least there I could come and go as I pleased…”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Robby was about to say more but the look on Johnny’s face stopped him. Johnny was calm again. Just like that.. “No Robby. Never.” He said firmly. "How could you even think that?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“You know the answer to that!” He spat the words at his father. “So?” Robby was getting in his face, his cheeks flushed and eyes glistening. “What are <em>you</em> gonna do if I break your golden rules huh? Beat me up?” He took a defensive stance. <em>Go on! Beat me! Show me how you really feel.</em></span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Don’t flatter yourself kid. If I wanted to there would already be a boy shaped hole in that wall.” He pointed at the cinderblock. “You aren’t getting hit in this house. By anyone, especially me. Understand?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I don’t believe you!” He yelled in Johnny’s face. </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I know.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">This caught Robby off guard. He had been about to go off on a rant, maybe even punch his Dad. Now he just felt confused and about as tired as his Dad looked.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“ I know you don’t trust me… Why would you?” He said sadly. “I’m not asking you to trust me. I’m ASKING you to leave a freaking NOTE when you walk out of here! Is it too much to ask!?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Robby lowered his arms and slumped down on the couch. As Johnny continued to yell at him, getting visibly freaked out now.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“There are <em>fucking </em>lunatics out there!” He pointed out the window at the darkening sky. “Kreese is probably on the war path by now! He’s weaponised half the kids in town! Is it too much to ask that I know you’re safe and not beaten up and raped in an alleyway somewh...” Johnny put his hand over his mouth. Then he sank to the couch and pulled Robby into a ferocious hug. Crushing him to his chest.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">He couldn’t remember ever seeing his dad cry like that before.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><em>Beaten up and raped. Like Sam, when she came here</em>. He thought. <em>Of course he’s freaking out. </em></span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Ok Dad.” He clung to the man with both arms “Ok Dad… It’s Ok.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>11:30 PM</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Amanda and Daniel were in bed reading when her phone buzzed. She frowned.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Johnny? Hey…” She said, looking over at Daniel, worried.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><em>“How the hell do you do it?” </em>He asked. His voice was low. Robby was probably sleeping in the next room.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">‘Um… Do what?”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>“Fucking parenting a teenager.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“I’m putting you on speaker. Daniel’s here.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><em>“Got any Haikus on fatherhood for me LaRusso?” </em>Daniel gave a spontaneous laugh.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>“I’m fucking exhausted. He walked out earlier… Without telling me where he was going. He comes back in and sasses me when I give him some rules… I can’t even strangle him or hammer him with my belt like my fuckingstep-dad would’ve…Cause apparently that’s frowned upon these days… Seriously what the fuck?”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Grounding works… Well… Not really… Taking their phones away kinda works.” Amanda said with a shrug. It’s the handicap of modern parenting that we can’t engage in old fashioned child abuse like ourown parents did… Sucks really” She was trying not to laugh.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Hmmm. Daniel chipped in. “My mom would’ve put my head though a window if I’d spoken to her the way my kids speak to me… I was terrified of her.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>“As you should have been… I’ve met your mother.” </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Amanda chuckled. Daniel glared at her in mock outrage.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>“Seriously though guys. I don’t think I’m going to be any good at this. I’m…”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Terrified?” Offered Daniel.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Frustrated?” Amanda added.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>“Yes! Both of those!”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“That’s normal.” Amanda said “You’re doing fine. The general rule is that if they hate you you’re doing the right thing.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>“Seriously?” He sounded aghast “When does it start getting better?”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“We’ll let you know if it happens.” Daniel said with a smile, eyes on his book.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>“Great… Fucking great… Thanks guys. I only feel moderately suicidal now.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“You and Carmen come to dinner tomorrow.” Amanda said. We’ll get drunk and share war stories…Bring the kids. They can swim or something.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>“I think Miguel’s still grounded.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Talk to Carmen…See that’s another part of it.” Daniel said “Undermining another parent’s authority is part of the whole thing.”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Johnny laughed quietly. <em>“Ok. I’ll talk to her tomorrow. Thanks Guys…”</em></span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“G’night.” Daniel said.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Night Johnny.” Amanda was about to hang up.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>“Guys?”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“Yeah”</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>“Hug Sam for me.”</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">“…Ok Johnny.” </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b>11:30 PM</b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Sam lay awake on her phone. She knew it was a big no no for insomnia but she was finding it easier to sleep these days. And it was a novelty having Miguel and Robby in a chat group. Definitely her most active group too. No one else knew yet that they were…Friends…Again… Kind of?</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Robby is typing…</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Sam I’m in bed listening to my Dad bitching about me on the phone to your Dad… I can't hear what he’s saying but I know its that. ;-) </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Sam:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>HAHAHAHA! They’re hilarious. How is it. being there?</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Robby:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>We had a fight earlier but we worked it out. Do your parents have a rule where you have to tell them where you are whenever you go out?</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Sam:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Um… Yeah… Robby that’s like, all parents. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Robby:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Oh… Well… Fuck me then I guess. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Miguel is typing…</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>I could hear you guys yelling at each other from here. I kind of miss you already. ;-) </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Robby:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>I guess we’ll be the hillbilly neighbours who break the screen door and drink moonshine huh?</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Miguel:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>A little less sophisticated but yeah. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Sam:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>HAHHA! </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Sam :</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Guys we need to meet up again… I kinda miss hanging out with you. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">She blinked in surprise. She had thought it but hadn’t intended to write or send it.</span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Miguel is typing…</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Me 2</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"><b><em>Robby Is Typing…</em></b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Me 3</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Sam:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Sneak out tomorrow Miggy?</em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Miguel:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>I’m a pussy… I’m scared of my mom. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Sam:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Jesus Christ! Just do it! </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Robby:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>I’ll help… Meet me at your window with a ladder. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Sam: </em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Yes! </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Miguel is Typing….</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Ok. Where we going? </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Sam:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>I’ll think of somewhere. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Robby:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Got any more of those gummies Miggy? ;-) </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <b> <em>Miguel:</em> </b> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3"> <em>Fuck you!;-) </em> </span>
</p><p class="p4">
  <span class="s3">Sam put down the phone smiling. For the first time in weeks she stopped worrying about what other people thought of her. Or even what she thought of herself. She closed her eyes and sank into sleep, listening to the lilting sounds of her parents laughter down the hall.</span>
</p><p class="p4"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>What the hell have I done? *Punches self in face*</p></blockquote></div></div>
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